


Something Wicked This Way Comes

by lazypage



Category: BLACKPINK (Band)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-02-28 06:17:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 30,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18750718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazypage/pseuds/lazypage
Summary: After a car accident that took away her parent's lives, Kim Jennie's life changed completely. But when she returns to Seoul nine years after the tragedy, a chance encounter and enrollment to a university sets her off on a trip down the memory lane.





	1. Chapter 1

“Stop it Kuma!”

Kim Jennie spoke to her dog, a Pomeranian with fluffy brown fur, who was pulling on her sundress inside a cab.

  
Jennie was driving back from Incheon International Airport, after just getting off a flight from New York City. She had spent the last 9 years living in America with her aunt, but now she was back in Korea, ready to start a brand new life, once again. She was marveling at Seoul's scenery, with a blank look on her face.

  
Nine years ago, when she moved to New York, a new start was just what she needed at the time. Her aunt, a socialite and a philanthropist, who had always wished for Jennie to grow up by her side and blossom among the New York's elite, got her wish in the most twisted way.

  
Both of Jennie's parents died in a tragic car accident. All they left her with was an inheritance, insurance money and a half moon shaped scar on her right rib cage, a constant reminder of the accident that she survived and they didn't.

  
Jennie found solace in a foreign country soon after, escaping everything that reminded her of her parents - her old house, Korean dramas that aired every Sunday night at 7PM - her mother's guilty pleasure, her father's favorite restaurant that was only two blocks away from their mansion, as well as her best friends.

  
Jennie actually had a very tight circle of friends during her childhood years in Korea. In a way she was stuck with them, since they were all family friends and attended the same school as her. Looking back at those blissful years of countless sleepovers, island vacations, first crushes, games they played and secrets they kept, they seem like a very distant memory. Almost like a slice of someone else's life, awkwardly sewn to her own.

  
New York was completely different though. Whereas Jennie was surrounded by friends and family in Seoul, she spent a lonely nine years in New York City.

  
It's not like Jennie didn't have any friends there, in fact she was quite popular. But those people never felt like home, although she wasn't even sure what that feels like anymore.

  
They promised they'll keep in touch, send postcards, have long phone calls and maybe even visit her over the summer. But what Jennie didn't know is that most of them were glad to see her go. The boys saw a girl they wanted to sleep with ever since they remembered wanting to sleep with girls, the girls saw the girl they've been copying since they started shopping for their own clothes, all of them secretly wanting to be her, or be with her.

  
But Jennie resisted her aunt's attempts at grooming her into a center of prestigious inner circles of New York's upper class to the best of her ability. "You'll thank me one day." That's what her aunt said every time she practically forced her to show up to one of the countless charity parties, fundraiser balls and other social gatherings of this nature.

  
Jennie knew she would never get used to it, and truthfully she didn't want to. That is why she made arrangements to move to Seoul alone with her dog Kuma before even announcing it to her aunt.

  
Naturally, Ms Kim didn't like the idea, but ultimately she agreed to let her only niece go. She had no doubts that her aunt has already told all of her friends how Jennie grew tired of New York and has decided to enroll in a university in Korea and spend her holidays in Dominican Republic, Austrian Alps or some other destination that surely stirred envy and admiration.

  
But now every Seoul sight outside the car window reminded her of the past she wanted to forget. There was Times Square Mall, where she spent hours with her friends from middle school. There was Seoul Forest park where her parents often took her for long walks and picnics.

  
And there was the sunny, tree-lined road where she often used to ride bicycles with her four closest friends, Chaeyoung, Jisoo, Lisa and Chanyeol. As the car paused at the traffic light Jennie stared. She remembered when her shoelace got caught in the bicycle wheel, making her fall and scrape her knee. She also remembered how she wouldn't stop crying until Chaeyoung applied a bandage to her bleeding knee.

  
In New York, months would go by when she almost forgot Chaeyoung existed, the first best friend she has ever hand and her first love.

  
Well, more like her first hopeless crush. Not like she ever acted on her crush or told anyone.

  
The cab driver continued a few streets down and after a few minutes entered the gated residence where he pulled up to Jennie's soon to be home, a penthouse in an affluent neighborhood, not far away from the one where she used to live.

  
Jennie kept the location of her apartment a secret from her aunt, who had a chauffeur waiting for her at the airport, almost certainly so she could learn where her niece was moving in. Which is precisely why Jennie used the rear exit at the airport and got a cab as quickly as possible.

  
However, she regretted not going with the driver her aunt had sent for her as soon as she stepped out of the vehicle.

  
Most of her belongings and luggage has arrived to Korea a week ago and already waited for her in her apartment, but Jennie thought bringing another suitcase wouldn't hurt. Besides, she specifically searched for an apartment with a spacious wardrobe for a reason.

  
She put Kuma down on the ground and he immediately started wagging his tail and sniffing around, while Jennie helplessly watched the cab that brought her here drive away.

  
She let out a loud sigh and ran her fingers through her hair before pulling her suitcase towards her building, the sounds of the suitcase wheels rolling over the pavement filling the air. Once she reached the first flight of stairs that led to the building's front door she began struggling with her luggage.  
Kuma swiftly ran up the stairs and barked at her, as if he was telling her to hurry up.

  
Jennie grabbed the suitcase handle with both of her hands and barely managed to bring it two steps up the stairs before she had to stop. Next time she tried to carry it, it kept bumping into her knees and she let it's corner land on her right foot, scratching the surface of her brand new shoes.

  
“You look like you could use a hand” Said a voice.

  
Jennie turned around. A tall guy with wavy brown hair and a smile on his face that brought out his dimple stood beside her.

  
“You think?” Jennie handed him her suitcase, smiling gratefully.

  
When Jennie smiled she used her eyes. Her cat-like eyes, that usually looked piercing and cold, made her smile magnetic. The fact that her gum showed when she smiled only made her more charming.

  
The guy wrapped his hands around the handle of Jennie's suitcase and lifted it up effortlessly. He pushed open the glass door and pressed the silver elevator button.

  
Jennie picked Kuma up in her arms as the elevator door slid open, letting all three of them inside.

  
“Thank you.” She said.

  
The guy pushed his arms in his pockets.

  
“You know, you can thank me by coming to the party I'm having tonight. Block A, the penthouse at 9PM.”

  
Jennie raised her eyebrow.

  
“Do you always invite strangers to your house?”

  
“Only when they're as beautiful as you.” He gave her a challenging look and Jennie felt like barfing. Could this guy get any cornier?

  
There was a loud _ding_ when the elevator stopped on the last floor. Jennie held Kuma, who was softly licking her shoulder, tightly in one arm and pulled her suitcase in the other.

  
“I'll consider it.” She told him, looking over her shoulder, before the elevator closed again hiding his flushed face.

 

  
*

 

  
Around 11PM that same day, Jennie rolled over on her queen size bed after closing her laptop screen shut.

  
After she got bored of touring her brand new apartment and admiring her wardrobe, she decided to continue watching the Netflix show she has started on the plane to Seoul. But halfway through the final episode the party invitation she had received earlier that day started creeping up and lingering in the back of her mind.

  
She was laying on her back, starting at the ceiling and thinking about the pros and cons of going to the party.

  
A spontaneous outing and dancing until she can't feel her feet did sound tempting after the last few weeks she spent solely preparing for the move. But being surrounded by drunk strangers, and not to mention that guy from the elevator who definitely had a thing for her - not so much.

  
But just as she could predict even hours ago, the pros outweighed everything else. It didn't take her long to slip out of her comfy night gown and into a black two piece that revealed her perfectly sculptured stomach. She dabbed eye shadow on her eyelids and applied red lipstick in front of a bathroom mirror. Jennie didn't need much to make herself look delicious. The smile, the perfectly poised way she carried herself, some girls could spend hours perfecting it.

Well, Jennie did it effortlessly.

  
Block A, where the party was already raging - it started 2 hours ago - was only a few minutes away from Jennie's building. Seems like a lot more people were fashionably late, since Jennie wasn't alone in the elevator going up to the penthouse. A few giggling girls entered the already pretty jammed elevator, making it smell like alcohol and expensive perfume.

  
Pounding music thudded through the walls as the elevator smoothly rose up. The doors opened to a hallway identical to Jennie's, but the inside of the penthouse was completely different compared to hers. Unfamiliar faces, sipping pastel-colored cocktails, were roaming everywhere. One wall of the dimly lit room was lit with dozens of colorful LED lights. Jennie craned her neck to find a place where she can get a drink but someone intercepted her.

  
“Neighbor! So you decided to show up after all!”

  
The elevator guy stood in front of her, a red wine stain on his shirt that was three buttons undone. He was holding an empty glass of wine. Jennie suspected that the contents of the glass ended up on his chest.

  
“Do you mind getting me a drink?” Jennie asked him, hoping to avoid the crowd at the bar, but before he could answer someone darted towards him and pulled him to the side.

  
“Hanbin, we need more tequila bottles at the balcony bar.” A guy, who looked like another shot would floor him, asked.

  
Her new neighbor, Hanbin, smiled apologetically.

  
“Don't leave. I'll find you in a bit.”

  
“Uh-huh.” Jennie hummed, barely listening to him anymore. Her eyes scanned the room, searching for the bar.

  
“That's the last you'll see of him.”

  
Jennie turned. A girl in a off-shoulder blue dress and knee-high boots in the same shade of blue stood next to her. Her dark hair hung loose, falling over her bare shoulders. For a moment, she looked like an angel to Jennie, or someone she has seen in her dreams before. She was also standing close enough to Jennie that she could smell her. She smelled like the cleanest, most delicious person alive.

  
“I'm sorry, what?”

  
“Hanbin. Here, have this.” The girl handed her a pink cocktail. “The bar's too jammed.”

  
When Jennie's gaze met hers, she bit her bottom lip the way she always did when she was embarrassed. Then she smiled.

  
“Thanks.” She accepted the glass and took a slow sip.

  
“Do you know anyone here?” The girl asked her, giggling.

  
“Um, no, not really.” Jennie answered, wondering about what was so funny. Maybe the girl was just tipsy. Either way her smile made Jennie's heart speed up for some reason. 

“I just moved here. Literally got off the plane today.”

  
“Really?” The girl smiled cutely. “From where?”

  
Jennie smiled back.

“New York. I lived there...”

  
She stopped herself.

“All my life basically, so uh, I don't know many people in Seoul.”

  
Jennie wanted to let the girl think what she wants. It's not like she needed to know her entire personal history anyway.

 

“Cool!” The girl nodded, then gasped.“Oh my god, I love this song!”

  
Jennie didn't even notice when the song changed from a slow paced pop song to a bass heavy one she's been hearing in New York all summer, but curiously enough couldn't remember the name of. She felt a twinge of nostalgia thinking about New York, when the girl she's been talking to tugged at her hand.

 

“Come on, let's dance!”

  
Without even getting a chance to protest, Jennie downed her drink, setting it aside on a coffee table, and allowed herself to be dragged towards what appeared to be a dance-floor in the middle of the living room.

  
The dance-floor was packed with bodies, but Jennie didn't care. The girl led her to the middle of the room and started to sway. She threw her head back, feeling the music with her body. She ran her fingers through her hair, removing it off her bare shoulders and collarbones. Her crimson red lips were parted and her eyes were closed.

  
Jennie was looking directly at her and when her gaze met the girl's, her cheeks turned pink. She grinned a bright, excited smile at Jennie. Somehow they ended up moving closer and closer to one another until their hips touched. When the song reached its climax the girl twirled Jennie around and ever so slightly grinded on her.

  
Jennie's heart clanged in her chest as she tried to keep up with her dancing partner.

They were so close to each other Jennie could smell the girl. She smelled like honey and citrus - a strange mixture that somehow worked. It was utterly irresistible.

  
She leaned into Jennie's ear, whispering.

  
“You're a good dancer.”

  
Jennie smirked.

  
“You're not so bad yourself.”

  
The girl looked at her like she never wanted to blink. The summer anthem has finished, and now the girls slowed down their dancing.  
Jennie felt something stirring deep inside her. She felt the heat radiating from the girl's body, spreading all over hers. Her cheeks and ears, her chest, and her nether.

  
“I have to go to the bathroom.” Jennie suddenly said, catching herself and the girl by surprise.

  
“Can I come with you?”

  
Jennie's brain buzzed. If she didn't know any better, she would question what the girl was implying. Besides, hooking up with strangers wasn't really her thing.

  
She gazed at the girl.

  
But that was New York Jennie, she told herself.

  
She grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her through the crowd. They stared at each other until they found the bathroom then entered it crookedly, hand in hand. When Jennie almost tripped over the bathroom rug, the girl let out a hypnotizing laugh.

  
Then they stopped, and without a second thought the girl put a hand on the back of Jennie's neck and planted her lips on hers. Jennie's lips were stiff for a moment, but then they opened up and let her in.

  
Jennie lost herself in the kiss, pulling the girl up to a bathroom vanity, where she wrapped her legs around Jennie's waist. A stifled moan escaped the girl's lips when Jennie slowly sucked on her neck, and her stomach flipped. Electricity snapped off her skin as she raked her hands through the girl's soft hair.

  
Finally, they pulled away.

  
“Wow.” The girl whispered, out of breath.

  
And Jennie was gasping for air too, her catty eyes locked onto the girl's, who had a darkened glint to them. In the tense heat of a moment, she went in for another urgent kiss, tasting the sweet cocktail they both had earlier once again.

  
But then, a loud knock on the door interrupted them.

  
The girl gave Jennie a soft bite on the lower lip before they both parted with a jolt.

  
She started fixing her hair in the mirror, which was now all sorts of messed up after the passionate make out session they just had.

  
“You never told me your name.” Jennie pointed out. “I'm Jennie.”

  
The girl gave her a quick glance in the mirror and smirked. Then she pulled out a tube of a pink lip gloss from her pocket and smeared another layer on her lips.

  
“I'll see you around then, _Jennie_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first ever attempt at writing a fanfic so please bare with me if it's a bit awkward or if I make any errors (mainly grammatical and spelling ones) as english isn't my first language.
> 
> Any comments and thoughts would be very, very appreciated ♡


	2. Chapter 2

Monday morning, Chaeyoung walked downstairs, rubbing her eyes. The smell of freshly brewed organic coffee lured her to the kitchen. Her father has already left for work, but her mom and her sister, who was scrolling on her phone and playing with her cereal, were sitting at the table.

  
“Good morning, Chaeyoung.” Her mom looked up and greeted her.

  
“Morning...” Chaeyoung mumbled and rubbed her eyes, still feeling a bit sleepy.

  
It was seven thirty and she usually never got out of bed this early, but today was Monday, which meant Chaeyoung had to be at classes in an hour. Student orientation day at her new university was just three days ago, but she already felt at home.

  
When she first arrived there she marveled at the huge building that was her school to be. The professors she had an opportunity to meet were kind and interesting, nothing like the grumpy boring ones she had in high school. And, most importantly, she was surrounded by friends ranging from her old high school friends, new people she met at orientation and last but not the least, her boyfriend. This school year will be smooth sailing.

  
Chaeyoung poured herself a cup of coffee and headed back toward the stairs when her mom called out to her.

  
“Wait, honey.” She said loudly and Chaeyoung stopped so abruptly some of her coffee spilled to the floor.

  
Her mom stood in front of a big full body mirror in the hallway checking her hair out before heading out to work.

  
“Guess who I talked to yesterday?”

  
Chaeyoung rolled her eyes, rubbing her sock over the tiny droplets of coffee on the floor. She hated when people made her guess things that she can't possibly know an answer to.

  
“Jennie's aunt!” Her mom announced, still focused on her reflection in the mirror, while Chaeyoung almost spilled her coffee again.  
She regained her composure and adjusted her pink pajama shorts.

  
“Um, so what'd she say?” She asked trying to sound uninterested but her voice came out deeper and unnatural.

  
“Jennie moved back to Korea, that's such a lovely surprise, don't you think?” Her mom glanced at her before focusing on a stray hair that kept falling over her forehead.

  
Chaeyoung set her coffee down on the telephone table in the hallway. She didn't know what to think or how to answer that.

  
But before she could think of anything to say her mom spoke again.

  
“If you see her at school today you should invite her to your party, dear. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you again. It's been so long...”

  
Chaeyoung's brain was trying to process everything that her mom had just said.

  
Not only was her friend that she haven't seen in like nine years back, but she was going to the same school as her? And her mom expected her to just invite her to her party, the one she had been planning for weeks and handpicking every guest carefully.

  
Chaeyoung wanted to make her presence known at her new school, and what better way to do that than throwing a party to celebrate the start of the school year? But a girl who she hasn't seen for almost a decade wasn't a part of the plan.

  
For all she knew Jennie could be a completely different person now, maybe they wouldn't get along at all. Or _worse_ , she might actually be the same as she was nine years ago.

  
“But mom...” She started and her mother immediately gave her a stern look.

  
“How do I just go up to her and invite her to a party? We haven't talked in years.”

  
“Exactly, it'll be a perfect opportunity to catch up. You two were the cutest friends!” Her mom exclaimed, finally leaving the hallway mirror and heading towards her. She looked at her daughter, and started gently running her fingers through her hair, which was still messy from her sleep.

  
“Besides, Mr and Ms Kim always took care of you when you were sick. And Jennie is their daughter, your best friend.” Her mom reminded her.

  
Chaeyoung lowered her shoulders. Both of Jennie's parents used to be doctors. When Chaeyoung was little she refused to go to the hospital or any other doctor but them. They were the only ones who didn't scare her to death. Every painful shot she had to take, every breathing assessment that made her stomach cold and uncomfortable, and every other medical exam she had to take, it was always with them. They certainly made it fun, and almost painless. She remembered the fruity candy they would always give her at the end of the checkups and appointments for being brave and enduring everything. Deep down she knew they were the ones who made her want to become a doctor in the first place.

  
“Fine...” Chaeyoung simply said and her mom placed a warm kiss on her forehead and caressed her cheek.

  
“That's my girl.”

  
Chaeyoung was still standing in the hallway when her mother left, wondering if she would even be able to recognize Jennie again.

  
She remembered the last day she has seen her very vividly. It was right after the winter break in 8th grade and Chaeyoung was having a birthday party. A couple of girls stayed over for the night, Chaeyoung's closest friends, and Jennie was one of them. Thinking about that night always made her feel hot and itchy and uncomfortable. The accident happened after her mom and dad came to pick Jennie up the next morning. Chaeyoung didn't even get to say goodbye to her, she slept in. Or pretended to, to be precise. But after the accident happened she never got to see her friend again, who moved to America barely a week later.

  
“So your bestie's back.” Her sister chirped from the kitchen.

  
“Were you eavesdropping?” Chaeyoung asked, crossing her arms.

  
“Couldn't help but overhear.” Chaeyoung's sister shrugged. “You must be so excited to see her again.”

  
Something about the way her sister said it made Chaeyoung burrow her eyebrows. It almost sounded like she was mocking her.

  
“Mind your business.” Chaeyoung said and her sister giggled. She climbed the stairs, heading back to her room, forgetting her cup of coffee which has already gone cold.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Jennie walked quickly to her first class of the day, her schedule in her hand.

  
She missed orientation day because of some delays with her apartment and she already felt like she missed her opportunity to make any friends here. Sweeping by her were people in small groups or pairs, already excitedly chatting about the upcoming classes and making plans. Some people gave her curious and appreciative glances, and at one point Jennie was pretty sure this one girl was about to strike a conversation with her before giving up. People often told her she looked intimidating or unapproachable so it wasn't anything that she wasn't already used to. More often than not, Jennie was thankful people were discouraged before even talking to her. She wasn't the small talk, chatty type.

  
She was passing by the framed photos of the university's alumnus when someone lightly tapped her shoulder.

  
“Uh, Jennie?”

  
She turned to face a girl who looked familiar and foreign all at the same time.

  
Jennie's heart started to pound.

  
“Oh my god, Lisa?”

  
The blonde doll-like girl's mouth spread into a warm smile.

  
“Wow... I can't believe it's really you.”

  
She pulled Jennie into a tight hug and Jennie could swear Lisa smelled like she always have. Tears almost came to her eyes and she pressed her face into Lisa's shoulder.  
She'd worried about how she might react when she saw one of her old friends again, and here was Lisa. Secretly, Jennie felt relieved Lisa was the first one of her friends that she encountered. She was always the kindest and the most patient one in their group, and probably the most mature one considering how many fights and arguments she shut down. Jennie felt like she could always talk to her about anything, without ever feeling stupid or embarrassed. She would always listen and try to understand. Maybe Jennie missed her the most while she was away, she never met a person as sweet and pure as Lisa while she was in New York.

  
“When did you come back?”

  
“Two days ago. I missed the orientation.” Jennie said looking her old friend up and down, from her long blonde hair to her plaid skirt down to her long legs. She forgot how tall Lisa's long limbs made her look.

  
“It was boring anyway. I didn't need a bunch of seniors and teachers to go on a faculty tour.”

  
Jennie looked at her friend, surprised, then down at her schedule.

  
“My first class of the day is on the third floor.

  
“Me too. I almost ditched, you don't learn anything at the first class of the year.”

  
Jennie eyed her suspiciously. Since when did Lisa not care about school? When they were kids she was always the one with straight A's, and everyone else always begged her to let them copy her homework. Except for Chaeyoung who preferred to do it on her own, even though she could've used Lisa's help that she stubbornly refused.

  
It was like seeing Lisa again unlocked a chest hidden inside of Jennie's mind where she kept all her memories of her old friends.  
Lisa linked arms with her and they headed towards the staircase together.

  
“How's everyone else? Did Chaeyoung and Jisoo enroll here too?” Jennie asked, trying to sound as casual as she can. The truth is that she's been dying to ask Lisa about them.

  
“I have no idea... I think, uh, Chaeyoung did.” Lisa said, sounding uninterested.

Wow.

  
For some reason it has never crossed Jennie's mind that her old friends maybe weren't friends with each other anymore. Whenever she thought about Seoul and the people she left behind, things were just the way she left them. Lisa was still an excellent student and the glue that held their gang together. Chaeyoung was still a bit shy and snobbish but really funny and cool once she gets comfortable. Jisoo was still tomboyish and taekwondo-obsessed.

  
And above all, they were all still friends.

  
Lisa noticed the surprised look on Jennie's face and probably realized how clueless her friend is.

  
“I mean we haven't really been in touch for a while.”

  
“I see.” Jennie said and lowered her gaze to the ground.

  
“This is me.” Lisa suddenly said pointing at a classroom door which was wide open, letting a bunch of students go in and out before the classes started. 

“Let's grab a coffee or something after classes, what do you say?” She asked a bit shyly and Jennie couldn't help but smile.

  
“Sure. Here,” She said handing Lisa her phone. “Give me your number, I'll text you.”

  
After exchanging numbers, Jennie headed into her own classroom and fell into the first vacant seat that she saw. She took a deep breath.

  
She felt weirdly emotional and giddy after seeing Lisa again. She had a feeling she was going to bump into one of her old friends sooner or later, but she never expected it to be, well, sooner.

  
The only thing that made her feel at ease was escaping into the memory of the girl she met at that party. The way she grabbed her face and kissed her. The way their mouths fit perfectly together - they didn't bang teeth once. The way her hands floated all over her back, her stomach and legs. Jennie figured she was probably never going to see the girl again, and she was just fine with that. It felt good, liberating, to be reckless for one night and kiss a stranger.

  
She let out a tortured sigh and looked around, realizing her professor has already arrived and everyone has settled down.

  
Finally, she tried to concentrate on what was coming out of her professor's mouth, chasing the girl out of her mind.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

After her classes were over, Jennie carelessly threw her coat around her shoulders and headed towards the exit.

  
_So much for not learning anything at the first class of the year -_ she thought, thinking about what Lisa said earlier. Her hand was aching from all the notes taking that she had to do, but she felt satisfied with herself. The subject was digestible and Jennie was pretty sure she got the hang of it quickly.

  
She leaned against the wall right outside her classroom, looking down at her phone and typing a message to Lisa when she noticed someone walk up to her. Followed by two more people.

  
Confused, Jennie looked up.

  
When Jennie first saw Lisa it took her a few moments to recognize her, but this time it was completely different. She knew Chaeyoung's face right away, the moment she laid her eyes on her. There was no place for doubt.

  
She took a moment to take it all in.

Chaeyoung's long hair that was now in a shade of blonde that Jennie immediately thought suited her _so_ well. Her face that somehow looked even more stunning than Jennie remembered it to be. Her preppy outfit that made her look like she was wearing a school uniform. And... two other girls standing next to her on each side, scanning Jennie with unimpressed looks on their faces.

  
She fidgeted.

  
“Hey, I heard you were back.” Chaeyoung said with a tiny smile on her face that didn't quite seem to reach her eyes.

  
“Yeah... I am.” Jennie simply responded and instantly regretted it. She was too stunned to think of something else to say, something nicer, wittier, something that would make Chaeyoung stop from looking so damn unwelcoming and bored.

  
Jennie wondered how Chaeyoung even knew she was back. Did Lisa tell her?

  
That seemed strange, considering Jennie was under the impression that they weren't exactly close.

  
“Cool. So my mom thought you should come to my party next week if you want.”

  
She made a point of making sure Jennie knew she wasn't the one inviting her, but her mom.

  
“Look at what Nayeon's wearing.” Interrupted a girl on Chaeyoung's left.

Jennie turned her head sideways, trying to place her. Something about her face seemed oddly familiar and it took her a few moments before it clicked.

  
Park Sooyoung? She went to elementary school with her but Jennie was never particularly close to her. In fact, no one from her old friend group was.

  
“Yuck.” The other girl that was standing next to Chaeyoung giggled. Jennie was certain she had never seen her before.

  
_I guess a lot has really changed_ , she reminded herself.

  
“Um sure. I'll be happy to come Chaeyoung...” - The three girls suddenly turned their attention back to Jennie.

  
Sooyoung and Chaeyoung's other friend exchanged amused glances, the corners of their lips curling up.

  
“Rosé.” Chaeyoung said, with a stiff smile. The atmosphere turned chilly.

  
“Huh?”

  
Jennie wondered if the girls have started another conversation in which she wasn't included, again.

  
“Call me Rosé.”

  
Jennie's eyes darted from one face to another. Clearly she had said something wrong and she quickly guessed what it was.

  
“Oh!” She exclaimed. “Yeah, sure, um, Rosé.”

  
She waited for Chaeyoung to smile or something, but all she did was glance at two of her friends who were now focused on their phones.

  
Chaeyoung was acting strange, and Jennie fought down a rising panic.

  
“Well, I'll mail you the invitation or text you the address.” She said and when Jennie questioningly raised her eyebrows, she explained. “Your aunt gave my mom your phone number.”

  
_Well that explains who told Chaeyoung she was back_.

  
She gave Jennie an apologetic shrug.

  
“Sorry, can you excuse us?”

  
The two girls gave Jennie one final haughty look before following Chaeyoung's lead and darting off elsewhere.

  
“I see you've met _Rosé_.” Lisa said, appearing out of nowhere and purposely dragging out the last word.

  
Jennie glanced down at her phone and the unfinished text she was about to send to Lisa.

  
“Crap, I'm sorry I didn't text you.”

  
“It's fine. If I didn't come all the way to the third floor to get you I would've missed, uh... Whatever that was.”

  
“You're such a bitch.” Jennie said and slapped Lisa's shoulder, which made both of them burst out laughing. Lisa took her hand and swung it as they made their way to the near-by cafe.

  
Lisa couldn't have come at a better time actually. After Chaeyoung left Jennie felt too stunned to even move. A lighthearted banter was just what she needed.

  
Once they were inside the cafe, Lisa curled her legs underneath her in a cozy booth and Jennie sat across the booth, with a coffee mug in front of her.

  
She was briefly telling Lisa about the last nine years she had spent in New York, as brief as nine years could be. Lisa was staring at her wide eyed, soaking in every single word that came out of her mouth.

  
“I missed you.” Jennie finally said when she was finished with talking about her senior year of high school.

She never quite understood why she stopped emailing and texting her old friends, she kind of just did. The gaps between each of her replies have gotten longer and longer until there was nothing to reply to.

  
“I missed you too Jen. I seriously thought I was never going to see you again.”

  
Lisa squeezed her hand.

  
“So much has changed since I've left.” Jennie was thinking out loud.

  
“You mean Chaeyoung?”

  
She silently nodded and Lisa gave her a sympathetic look. She knew how close the girls used to be before, almost inseparable.

  
“Wait till you see Jisoo then.” Lisa said, trying to make the situation a little less somber and change the subject.

  
She succeeded, as she made Jennie look up at her, her interest clearly piqued.

  
“What do you mean?”

  
“Jisoo is signed under a big agency now. She models.”

  
Jennie was about to take a long sip of coffee but then she paused with her mug mid-air.

  
“Wait really? Jisoo? _Our_ Jisoo?”

  
Lisa nodded with a smile on her face.  
Jennie tried to picture Jisoo, with her bowl cut hair and taekwondo uniform posing for pictorials or walking the runway. Her brain could barely visualize it.

  
“No way.” Jennie said, even though she knew Lisa wouldn't lie to her. “I thought she was for sure going to become a professional martial artist. She used to be so into taekwondo...”

  
“I'll show you her Instagram.” Lisa said whipping out her phone. “She has quite a following now.”

  
Jennie leaned over the table and towards Lisa curious about Jisoo's modeling career.

  
“Here” Lisa said after a few moments of searching for Jisoo's social media. She turned the phone towards Jennie.

  
Jennie slid down in her seat, acid rising to her throat. She immediately recognized the girl on the screen. Her dark hair that was loosely falling over her shoulders. Her smile that made her eyes looked crescent and innocent. Her slim figure and perfect posture. Her heart shaped lips that Jennie had kissed just the other night. The girl from the party.

Kim Jisoo.

  
Jennie's stomach flipped.

  
“Woah.” Lisa said, looking slightly concerned and not as amused as she was a minute ago. “Are you that surprised?”

  
_You have no idea_ , Jennie thought, averting her eyes from Lisa's phone and the girl in the picture, who was smiling innocently.

 


	3. Chapter 3

_"I'll see you around then, Jennie." A voice said in her ear. "Sooner than you might expect."_

Jennie shot up.

The dark, familiar figure that had been looming over her face vanished. Instead, she was in her bed. Through the walls, she could hear Kuma's nails hitting the floor in the hallway, reminding her that she should probably cut them for him soon, and out the window she saw that the sun was just coming up. She groped the left side of her bed, searching for her phone. It said 7:09AM on the screen.

When she unlocked her phone she almost dropped it on her face when Jisoo's Instagram page popped up. She had forgotten that she spent most of the night scrolling through her social media, until her fingers went numb and she fell asleep. From her lurking session, Jennie had gathered that Jisoo has starred in a couple of music videos, a drama and quite a few commercials. She still loves Pikachu and has an adorable white Maltese dog. At first, she seemed like a brand new person, nothing like the girl that Jennie remembered, but the more time Jennie spent zooming into Jisoo's smile and reading her captions the more familiar she seemed. It wasn't that hard to believe that the girl on the phone screen used to be her old friend anymore, but what was surprising to Jennie is how stunning and attractive she has gotten. Even though she was quite literally losing her mind over the fact the mystery girl is Jisoo, Jennie couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful the girl is, nor could she ignore the way looking at those heart shaped lips again made her feel.

Around 3AM, when Jennie's eyelids got so heavy she could barely keep her eyes open, she almost liked one of Jisoo's pictures on accident and that was her cue to go to sleep. She didn't want Jisoo to know she was a creep who was stalking her social media three hours after midnight. And she also didn't want her to know... well, that she was  _Jennie._

She pondered about it for a long time after she told Lisa that she wasn't feeling that well and that she had to go home yesterday. If Jennie didn't recognize Jisoo it's only natural that Jisoo wouldn't recognize her either. That is what Jennie wanted to believe, but the fact that Lisa and Chaeyoung recognized her almost instantly didn't make her feel hopeful at all. In fact, it made her feel uneasy. Why would Jisoo kiss Jennie if she knew who she was?

A sudden knock on the front door interrupted Jennie's train of thoughts. It also disturbed Kuma, who started barking loudly at the front door. Jennie stumbled out of bed, wondering who could be knocking at her door this early in the morning.

She scratched Kuma's head, calming him down, and answered the door.

"Good morning, ms Jennie."

"Hyelim, what are you doing here?"

In front of Jennie stood Hyelim, her maid, with two suitcases and a smile on her face.

"Well," Hyelim said and Kuma ran into her arms, licking her flushed cheek. "Ms Kim didn't like the way you ignored her assistance when you first arrived here. She thinks you aren't quite fit to live alone for the time being."

Jennie rolled her eyes before her mouth widened into a bright smile.

Hyelim has been working for the Kim family ever since Jennie was a little girl. She wasn't just a maid, she was a family friend. Sometimes Jennie feels like she spent more time with Hyelim than her parents, who were always busy with work.

She used to tell Jennie and her friends the most riveting tales, bake the best cookies they had ever tried and serve cold lemonade to them during long summer days, when they played by the pool in Jennie's backyard. On particularly hot days she would even get ice cream for them, much to Chaeyoung's pleasure, who couldn't swim and kept cool by consuming cold beverages and snacks. Suddenly, Jennie remembered the first and last time Chaeyoung entered her pool. It was the summer solstice, the last one Jennie got to spend in Korea, and the weather was so hot even Chaeyoung dipped her feet in the pool, sitting at the edge of it. Jennie was having an underwater breath holding contest with Chanyeol, who kept beating her by a few seconds, when Jisoo pushed Chaeyoung into the pool. All heads turned when she let out a piercing scream and disappeared under the water. Chanyeol was the one who swam over and brought her up to the surface and as soon as Chaeyoung touched the solid ground she started crying. Jisoo cried as well, apologizing for not realizing how dangerous and stupid her prank was. And like many times before that, Lisa was the one who calmed everyone down, the apologetic Jisoo, angry Chaeyoung, worried Chanyeol and scared Jennie.

Jennie snapped back to the present, leading Hyelim to the guest room. She did think her apartment was way too spacious for one person, and despite being annoyed with her aunt for trying to subtly control her life again, Jennie was glad she had someone to be around now.

She threw herself on the bed that belonged to Hyelim now and hugged a pillow.

"Hyelim, I need love advice."

"Love advice?" The woman teased, shooing Kuma who was sniffing around her luggage.

"Yeah," Jennie said. "I think I like someone. But she isn't who I thought she was. Now I'm not sure how I feel."

"Well, who is she?" Hyelim asked.

_Jisoo, the girl who used to come to our house almost every day._

Jennie groaned. "Ugh, you wouldn't understand."

"Not if you try to explain, ms Jennie."

Jennie rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter anyway. She's unattainable."

"You know what I always do whenever I have love problems, ms Jennie?" Hyelim asked, making Jennie raise an eyebrow. She had no idea Hyelim even had a love life. "I read my monthly horoscope."

Jennie scoffed.

"I don't think the stars can solve this one."

"You never know!" Hyelim smiled.

Jennie didn't believe in Horoscopes and that the stars and planets control her destiny, and yet, an hour later when she was going to school, she couldn't resist but to check what the universe had in store for her. Ironically, of course.

**The current astral configuration may reconnect you with someone whom you once knew a while back, and had almost forgotten. The celestial energy encourages you to choose one person to be your partner, out of many possibilities who might have a key to your heart. One of them is particularly special.**

Jennie sighed. The stars definitely weren't on her side.

 

*

 

"You want to grab something to eat?" Lisa hovered next to Jennie when the final bell of the day rung. A black leather jacket hung loosely off her body, and her hair was in a high ponytail.

"No, I'm good. I'll get something from the vending machine." Jennie answered. "I should head to the administration office to see if I can join a student organization. The Club Fair was on orientation day and I missed it."

A bunch of girls waved at Lisa as they headed towards the side stairs out to the student parking lot. After they passed, Lisa turned back to Jennie and frowned.

"You know you don't get any extra credits for joining one of those, right? You have enough work as it is."

"I guess." Jennie said, walking towards the vending machine. "But I heard the college clubs can be really fun. Not to mention the future employers who care about more than just your diploma."

Lisa smirked.

"Suit yourself." She scanned the rows inside the vending machine. "But if you change your mind about having potato chips for breakfast you can always join me."

When Lisa loped down the stairs leading towards the main exit, Jennie searched her wallet for coins. She inserted one into the machine and pressed a button. While she was waiting she grabbed her phone and typed Kim Jisoo into the search engine for the nth time that day.

Scrolling through the results, she stifled a giggle. There was a photo of a Jisoo looking terrified on a zipline course. Another link lead to YGKPlus' official website. There was a photo of Jisoo looking gorgeous in a black dress, posing in front of a tall building, probably somewhere in Europe. As she tried to magnify the photo to check out Jisoo's waist and legs someone slapped the vending machine making the pretzels she wanted roll out of the machine.

"The machine on the third floor works better than this one. Plus it's the only one that has cherry coke."

Jennie jumped, almost dropping her phone to the floor. She was so immersed in Jisoo's pictures that she didn't even notice that the vending machine wasn't working.

When she looked up at the person who helped her out, her heart stopped. It was a familiar tall, lanky guy, who had an awkward smile on his face now. Jennie recognized the dimple on his cheek, his big eyes, even his ears.

It was Park Chanyeol.

"Wow, hey." Jennie stammered.

He bent down to pick up her bag of pretzels and handed it to her.

"I just wanted to say hello. It's been so long!"

" _Too_  long." Jennie said, smiling.

He was much taller than he used to be, and a lot less skinny. Instead of thick glasses he used to wear back then, he had an alluring smile on his face.

He nodded towards the pretzels she was holding and poked her shoulder.

"I can't believe you still eat those."

"I can't believe you remember." Jennie said, making him chuckle and shyly avert his eyes.

"You know what else I remember? Pigsie."

Jennie giggled, still embarassed, even after all these years. Pigsie was her stuffed pig doll that her dad got her in Sweden. She advised her on love life and she was the only one who knew about the hopeless crush Jennie used to have on Chaeyoung. Jennie couldn't sleep or go anywhere without her.

"I still have her, you know, I just don't carry her around."

"I don't really think she would fit in here." Chanyeol teased, his eyes steady on her.

"Hey, Chanyeol! You coming?" A guy's voice demanded.

Startled, Jennie and Chanyeol tore their eyes away from each other. It was some guy she didn't know, waving at Chanyeol across the hallway.

Chanyeol gave him a slight nod and turned back to Jennie.

"I have to go now, but it was so good seeing you again." His eyes sparkled. "We missed you, you know."

He shot her another smile, before going after his friend.

"Yeah..." Jennie mumbled softly, standing alone now. "I missed you too."

She wondered who he meant by saying _we_ , but she never asked.

 

*

 

Ms Jang picked her glasses up from where they were hanging around her neck on a gold chain and slid them onto her nose. She bent over and pulled a big binder out of a drawer in her desk and began flipping through the pages and pages of colored paper.

"Here's something that starts this week, Ping pong club."

She looked up at Jennie, who was frowning doubtfully.

"No, you're right. Let's see if there's something else."

Ms Jang was a lady that works at the administration office and now she was helping Jennie choose which student organization to join.

She was briskly flipping through the pages when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in."

A girl with a headband in her brown hair came inside the office and flashed them a smile which showed off her bunny teeth.

"Hello, excuse me Ms Jang, can I talk to you?"

The lady took off her glasses once again. "Yes, go ahead."

"I was wondering if we could start with the Drama club this week. I talked to Mr Lee already and he thinks we should start as soon as possible." The girl said, hovering in the doorway.

Ms Jang sighed. "I don't see why not. You'll be rehearsing in the auditorium every Monday and Wednesday after classes, right?"

"Monday and Thursday, Ms Jang." The girl corrected her.

"Ah, right." Ms Jang said, typing something into her computer now.

"Excuse me." Jennie suddenly said, making the both women in the room turn their attention to her. "Did you say the Drama club is starting this week?"

"Yes, it is now." Ms Jang said. "Would you like to join?"

Jennie jiggled her foot up and down. She tried to imagine herself alone on stage, acting. She would have to cry on cue, pretend to faint, wear costumes and maybe even a wig.

"Yeah, sure. It sounds interesting."

"Well." The lady put her glasses back on and started typing again. "That'll be all then."

"Thank you." Both girls said in unison and then smiled at each other.

They left Ms Jang's office and walked up a wide central stairwell. "I'm Nayeon, by the way." The girl said, pushing open the auditorium door. Inside a bunch of students have already gathered, waiting for the class to start.

"Jennie." She introduced herself with a smile. Jennie was pretty sure she has seen Nayeon around, but couldn't quite remember when or where.

Nayeon moved to the front of the room and Jennie scanned the room for an empty seat. "Hello guys. Mr Lee put me in charge of the play, so I'll be monitoring everything while he's absent." She said, waiting for one of the students to say something.

Jennie turned to gaze at all the people in the room and immediately spotted Chaeyoung sitting behind her. To her right were the two girls that were with her the day Chaeyoung invited Jennie to her party, and to her right was Chanyeol. He flashed her a glance, looking away before he could see Jennie smiling at him. Chaeyoung whispered something in his ear, and interlocked her fingers with his.

Jennie looked back at Nayeon and hugged herself, warding off the strange feeling that had been stalking her ever since she came back.

A moment later someone pushed open the heavy wooden door of the auditorium and stood in front of it, looking at the class. Jennie's stomach seized and an icy shiver crept up her spine. It was Jisoo.

She was out of breath and her hair was windblown. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were bright, probably from running to class. She looked even more perfect in flesh than Jennie had remembered.

Jennie had a feeling she was going to run into Jisoo again eventually, ever since the moment Lisa showed her her picture. But what she didn't expect was that it would happen so soon. Suddenly she wished that she could somehow sink into her chair and disappear completely.

"She didn't even brush her hair." Jennie heard Sooyoung, who was sitting right behind her, whisper. "I wonder where she slept last night."

Nayeon cleared her throat.

"Have a seat." She motioned Jisoo towards a vacant seat at the very front of the auditorium. Jennie was certain Jisoo didn't notice she was there, and she wasn't sure if she was happy about that or not.

"So, as you all probably know already we're doing a modern version of Phantom of the Opera." Nayeon said in a pleading voice. Jennie had a feeling no one in the room was aware of this before she announced it.

The room fell silent while Nayeon was talking.

Well, almost.

"Don't you think Jisoo looks kind of spaced out? Maybe she's on something..." Jennie heard a voice whisper behind her again.

"Probably a prescription drug. You know, like, Valium or something. Maybe she's gone totally crazy." This time, it was the other girl that Jennie saw with Chaeyoung the other day speaking. She could recognize her voice, and her snicker.

"Is that a scar on her cheek?"

"Probably, Yerim." Sooyoung whispered back. "I heard she had a plastic surgery in Europe this summer, but they didn't do a very good job."

Jennie craned her neck to see, without even realizing it. Did she look stoned? Was her face scarred? Was her hair messy? Was there anything different about her at all?

"So who would like to try out for Christine?" Nayeon suddenly asked, making Jennie realize she has been so focused on catching snippets of Sooyoung's and Yerim's whispering that she didn't even realize Nayeon has been talking this entire time.

She heard shuffling noises as few hands rose. Jennie hasn't read or watched _Phantom of the Opera_ but she was pretty sure Christine was the lead role. She felt slightly tempted to apply for the role, but ultimately gave up. Maybe it was too ambitious to go for the lead role right away.

A group of girls who did think they were right for the part made their way to the front of the auditorium. Chaeyoung was walking with them. She had a confident glint in her eye when she pushed a stray blond hair behind her ear and smiled.

"Alright." Nayeon said, hopping up to sit on the edge of the auditorium's stage. "Before we begin with acting, I need to hear all of you sing first. Christine was a opera singer after all."

Upon hearing that singing will be involved, one of the girls apologized softly and walked back to her seat with her head bowed.

"Okay then." Nayeon sighed tiredly, looking back at the girls who were still standing in front of her. "Let's see what you got."

The girls sang one by one. The first two were pretty decent in Jennie's opinion, but the look on Nayeon's face told her that she thought they were completely wrong for the part. The next girl sang so horribly it could be compared to screeching. Nayeon thanked her with a forced smile on her face and put her head in her hands.

Just then, it was Chaeyoung's turn to sing. Jennie tensed up as soon as she started. Somehow, she had forgotten how good of a singer Chaeyoung was, but that's due to the fact she never liked to sing in front of other people.

Actually, Jennie had only heard her sing once before. They were spending their weekend at Chaeyoung's grandmother's cabin, just outside of the city. Usually they would go horseback riding, or play outside but on that particular day a storm was raging outside. The thunder was so loud and scary it made Jennie burst into tears and hide under a blanket. Chaeyoung's grandma brought her some green tea and her favorite strawberry cookies but the only thing that could calm her was Chaeyoung's singing. She held her in her arms and rocked her back and forth singing a lullaby, like she was trying to put a baby to sleep. Jennie didn't end up falling asleep, but it made her feel safe. That's how she found out Chaeyoung could sing, very well for that matter, but they never mentioned it after that. It was as if they made some sort of a silent deal to never speak about what happened. Now that Jennie thinks about it, they did make quite a few wordless deals and agreements like that. Maybe that's why Jennie used to love her so much, love her more than she loved any of her other friends.

Chaeyoung finished her performance with an unnecessary high note, a smile beaming on her face.

"Show off." She heard Chanyeol say behind her then laugh and clap, joined by everyone else in the auditorium.

Despite two more girls waiting for their turn to sing after Chaeyoung, Nayeon's eyes sparkled, as if she was thinking that this is her Christine, if ever there was one.

After Christine was cast, they spent the rest of the class casting other roles. Nayeon said she and Mr Lee altered the original story and made some very big changes, trying to make an old tale fresh and modern. Chanyeol who originally tried out for Erik, the notorious Phantom of the Opera, ended up getting the role of Vicomte Raoul de Chagny, Christine's childhood friend and love interest. _Fitting_. Only in this new story, Raoul was a Hollywood star. But perhaps the biggest change that they made to the story was the fact that Phantom of the Opera was a girl.

Jennie, who was unfamiliar with the story wasn't sure which role to try out for. To be frank, she almost didn't want to try out for any. Imagining Jisoo's and Chaeyoung's eyes on her, following her as she walked towards the stage made her feel faint. When it was time to cast the Phantom, who was renamed to Erika, only three girls walked up to the stage, one of them being Sooyoung.

"Ready?" Nayeon asked her and handed her the script.

Sooyoung nodded.

"You must know that I am made of death, from head to foot, and it is a corpse who loves you and adores you and will, never, never leave you!" She practically shouted. Halfway through the scene Sooyoung put on a fake French accent.

Nayeon looked as if she was suffering in silence and before Jennie could give herself the opportunity to change her mind, she bolted up and walked up to Nayeon.

"Do you mind if I try when she's done?" She whispered, not daring to turn around and face the people sitting in the audience seats behind her.

"Sure." Nayeon told her, while Sooyoung was finishing her lines. "Sooyoung, do you mind giving Jennie your script?"

Sooyoung looked like she _did_ mind, but she silently handed Jennie the papers.

They traded places. Jennie cleared her throat, keeping her eyes fixed on Nayeon, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Never turn your back to the audience." Nayeon reminded her with an encouraging smile and Jennie unwillingly turned around.

She skimmed over the script, choosing to read a different part than Sooyoung.

"You will be the happiest of women. And we will sing, all by ourselves, till we swoon away with delight." Jennie started, her face radiant with solemn delight. "You are crying! You are afraid of me! And yet I am not really wicked." She spoke to an invisible Christine in front of her, completely caught up in the moment now. "Love me and you shall see! All I wanted was to be loved for myself." She finished softly, peering at the audience now.

The first person she spotted was Jisoo, who was staring at her intensely. Jennie felt thunderbolts in her insides and she could've sworn she gave her a tiny smile. She kept their eyes locked for a short moment, taking in as much of Jisoo as she could before she quickly looked away, as if she was the eclipse - something you can't help but want to look at, even though you know you shouldn't because you'll go blind.

But after looking at what felt like the burning Sun, Jennie noticed Chaeyoung, who was giving her the iciest glare she had ever seen. She was sitting with her arms crossed, not paying attention to Chanyeol who was whispering something in her ear. If looks could kill, Jennie would like to be someone else right now.

"That was great! You were great!" Nayeon chirped enthusiastically, scribbling comments in her notebook. "I'll let you know tomorrow okay. And that goes for all you." She said turning around to face everyone else.

Jennie smiled widely, with a little thrill. She had never really thought of herself as an actress, but maybe she wasn't bad at all.

"That's it for today guys. Next Monday we'll decide on the other roles and start practicing!" Nayeon announced and immediately everyone started getting off their seats, murmuring about what they're going to do later today and exiting the auditorium.

Jennie got off the stage and followed the group of students that was leaving when someone nudged her arm. "That was really good, Jen."

Jennie turned to find Jisoo standing beside her, smiling at her. The first thing that flashed through Jennie's mind was how intoxicating Jisoo looked when they danced, how sweet her lips and neck tasted and how soft her hair was.

"Thanks." She said, wide eyed, feeling her face heating up.

"See? I told you I'd see you around." Jisoo smirked, and lightly elbowed Jennie, as if she had just told a joke.

However, Jennie didn't find anything about the situation amusing in the slightest. Her mind went foggy trying to comprehend what was happening. Did Jisoo know she was Jennie all along? Did she not care? Jennie felt like she knew the answer.

"Couldn't you two find somewhere else to have a reunion other than the door?" Chaeyoung groaned, sounding irritated. Sooyoung, Yerim and Chanyeol were standing beside her, waiting for them to let them pass through the door. The two girls had tiny smirks on their faces, eager to see what's going to happen next. Chanyeol, on the other hand, looked uncomfortable, like he would rather be anywhere else right now.

It was a chilly moment. Not the kind of moment you'd expect to have with your oldest, closest friends.

Jennie looked at Chaeyoung, then back at Jisoo, puzzled.

"Oh, please Chaeyoung." Jisoo said nonchalantly, making Chaeyoung flinch at the mention of her name. "Would it kill you to be nice?"

Chaeyoung looked her up and down, appalled.

"Spending a second longer in the presence of you would." She stated and pushed her way through the door, making Jisoo roll her eyes. Sooyoung and Yerim gave Jennie and Jisoo a look that wasn't very friendly and followed after Chaeyoung, together with Chanyeol who mouthed a _Sorry_ at them, before leaving too.

"I... I have to go." Jennie blurted out shortly after, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by everything that just happened.

"Jennie, wait." Jisoo looked confused, but Jennie was already pacing towards the exit.


	4. Chapter 4

"I hate Park Chaeyoung." Jennie announced, barging into her apartment and throwing her purse on a couch, only to miss and have it land on the floor. Kuma who was sleeping on a pillow nearby winced and barked softly.

"Ms Park? Your friend?" Hyelim, her maid, asked. At the mention of the word friend, Jennie gave her a piercing look.

"She is _not_ my friend." Jennie corrected her. She darted over to the kitchen counter while Hyelim was picking up her purse.

"But Ms Jennie, you two used to be inseparable, like sisters. Ms Park was all you used to talk about."

Jennie could feel her cheeks getting red as the apples in the fruit basket on the kitchen counter. She picked one up and started peeling it with a knife, trying to chase away the thoughts of the feelings she used to have for Chaeyoung. Slight nervousness started bubbling up inside her - was her crush that obvious?

"As if!" She scoffed, lying. "You should see her Hyelim, she thinks she rules the school."

Her maid looked like she was unsure of what to say, wanting to agree with Jennie but trying not to disrespect Chaeyoung. But Jennie didn't need her to say anything, what she did need was someone to listen to her ramble.

"Sometimes I wish I could just take that smug look off her face myself."

"Ms Jennie, let me do that for you." Hyelim offered, eyeing the apple that Jennie was slicing with such haste, as if it was the girl she was complaining about herself.

"I'll do it, it's fine." Jennie declined her offer, looking like she enjoyed cutting the apple up way too much.

Hyelim took a breath to say something, then let it out, looking like she had second thoughts. Jennie noticed her maid's hesitation and burrowed her eyebrows.

"What is it?" She demanded.

"Ms Jennie, I hope you're not forgetting about Ms Chaeyoung's party."

"Oh, I haven't forgotten, but I'm afraid I won't be able to make it." Jennie said. She might've considered Chaeyoung's invitation at first, but soon after today's encounter at the Drama Club, Jennie has decided to replace the party with... literally anything else.

"But Ms Jennie your aunt-"

"My aunt doesn't have to know how I spent my night. And if she cares about that party so much she can go herse- Ouch!"

Jennie dropped the apple and the knife from her hands. A stream of warm blood was running down her pointer finger where she cut herself.

"Ms Jennie!" Hyelim gasped.

"It's okay." Jennie said and put her hand under the cold water in the sink. The corners of her eyes were stinging at the sensation of her cut meeting the water.

"I'll go get you a band-aid." Hyelim said, pacing toward another room.

Jennie sighed and stared at her finger that still had tap water running over it, which didn't seem to slow down the bleeding at all.

The anger she felt for Chaeyoung less than two minutes ago suddenly vanished. Instead, it was replaced with sort of an empty feeling, something Jennie hated to face herself. She _was_ angry. Angry at the fact she felt like an outsider looking in. She tried to imagine what her life would be like if the accident never happened, and she never had to move to New York. Together with Jisoo and Lisa, they would help Chaeyoung organize her party and make the invitations together for the handpicked guests. Jisoo and Chaeyoung would probably argue over the color of the balloons, but in the end they'd settle for pink - Chaeyoung's favorite. They would let Lisa drag them to the dancefloor again, without finishing their drinks, even after they'd spent hours dancing already. Chaeyoung's party would turn into a sleepover, like it often did, and they'd spend the night in her bedroom, raving about the it. They would have another memory together, as if they needed any more, they'd have a whole book of them.

The truth is, Jennie didn't want to hate Chaeyoung or run from Jisoo. Together with Lisa, they were home to her, but she felt like she'd been gone for far too long.

  


*

 

 

Tomorrow afternoon, Jennie was leaving her last class of the day when someone threw their hands over her eyes. Jennie jumped, startled.

"Whoa, relax. It's just me."

Jennie turned around and felt even more petrified when she saw it was Jisoo.

Ever since the Drama Club fiasco, she has been trying her best to avoid Jisoo, which turned out to be quite easy. Apart from being paranoid the entire day at school and taking a sharp U-turn whenever she saw a girl with long brown hair and a figure similar to Jisoo's in hallways, Jennie thought she was doing a pretty good job. But what she didn't count on is that Jisoo might try and hunt her down herself.

"Why'd you run off like that the other day?" Jisoo grabbed Jennie's sleeve and the latter's skin prickled at the proximity of their hands.

"Sorry. Something came up and I had to go home..." Jennie said, realizing how obvious her lie was as the words rolled off her tongue. Fortunately, Jisoo didn't think the same, or she pretended not to, because she smiled and nodded. Jennie felt heat rush to her face at the sight of Jisoo's smile so she decided to study a sheet of paper someone had dropped on the floor instead of making eye contact. It was a flyer for the daycare center that was close to their university.

Jisoo glanced at Jennie.

"Can we talk for a second?"

"Um sure." Jennie nodded.

Before she allowed Jisoo to lead her into an empty classroom she had just left, she glanced around the school hallway which was practically vacant. Everyone who had afternoon classes that day bolted out of the school as soon as the final class ended. Jennie swallowed loudly, without meaning to.

The sun was setting and coloring the classroom in an orangish tint and revealing the dust particles floating around in the air.

"So, how have you been?" Jisoo asked and leaned against the wall.

_Confused about how everyone has changed so much. Upset at the fact my aunt is still trying to control my life. Kinda freaked out that I'm standing so close to you._

"I'm alright." She said finally.

Jisoo snorted . "Why does that sound so unconvincing?"

Jennie paused. "Yeah, I guess not."

"Well, what's going on?"

But suddenly, Jennie didn't want to talk about her aunt or how different everyone was compared to how they used to be. She wanted to talk about something else completely.

She took a deep breath.

"Jisoo, did you know it was me?" Jennie demanded, finally daring to look into the other girl's eyes. "That night at the party, did you know it was me you kissed?"

A surprised look washed over Jisoo's face like a wave, but then it went away as quickly as it came.

"Yeah."

Her simple answer irritated Jennie.

"Why did you do that?"

"I guess I was just curious." She proclaimed, her eyes not once looking away from Jennie's.

"Curious?" Jennie repeated like she didn't know the meaning of the word. "Jisoo you-"

The rest went unfinished as she felt Jisoo grab her hand.

"Jennie, you're bleeding."

Jennie looked at the hand Jisoo was holding in her own and saw that the cut on her finger has started bleeding. Once again, a small stream of blood was rolling down her finger, meeting Jisoo's palm. She could basically hear Hyelim's voice in her head, scolding her for not wearing a band-aid.

"Do you have a tissue?" Jennie asked.

"You won't need it."

Jisoo didn't give her an opportunity to say something back, as she lifted Jennie's hand towards her mouth and slowly licked off the blood from her finger. She started lightly sucking on the cut, not breaking eye contact, which made Jennie's chest clench up. She almost winced and made a painful grimace when Jisoo continued sucking harder, but before she did, the girl stopped and dropped her finger.

"There, the bleeding stopped." She said, looking at Jennie intensely. The temptation to reach for Jisoo was rising in Jennie. They stared at each other in desire and just when Jennie felt like she can't hold back anymore Jisoo's phone started ringing obnoxiously loud and Jennie knew the spell was immediately broken.

"I have to answer." She told Jennie, leaving her suddenly very cold.

"Hey mom." She said, wiping her palm that still had Jennie's blood on it with her thumb. "Yeah, I'm still at school.. No, I don't have any more classes."

Jisoo was pacing around the classroom, trying to control her breathing. Then she came to halt and burrowed her eyebrows.

"Yuna? What happened now?"

Jennie could hear the muffled voice of Jisoo's mom on the other line but she couldn't make out the words. Jisoo sighed and ran her free hand through her hair.

"Alright... Sure... No, it's fine." She gazed at Jennie and smiled warmly. "It's okay, I have a friend going along."

  


 

*

 

  


At the same time, on the other side of the city, Chaeyoung was standing with her arms crossed and scanning the huge room of the newly opened restaurant where her party will be held in a few hours.

Sooyoung thumbed across the list of people invited to the party on a huge tablet screen. There were one hundred and sixteen all together.

"Rosé, I mailed the invitations to everyone this morning." She said, looking pleased with herself for being so efficient. Chaeyoung has decided to take a more traditional and formal approach to this party and mail everyone handwritten invitations, which were necessary to enter. "But there was one failed delivery."

When Chaeyoung took the tablet her eyes were automatically drawn to a name toward the bottom of the list: Kim Jennie. The address given was the old mansion where Jennie lived with her parents before she moved to America. Chaeyoung knew that Jennie had gotten an apartment of her own when she moved back to Seoul, but it was just a little too easy to make it look like a genuine mistake. She handed the tablet back to Sooyoung without correcting Jennie's address.

"How strange."

A devious look came over Sooyoung's face.

"How strange indeed!"

A waiter walked past with a tray of champagne. Chaeyoung whisked a glass off his tray and downed it in a matter of seconds.

"The peacock feathers around the rims of the vases were a nice touch Rosé. It looks fabulous!" Yerim chirped.

Chaeyoung crossed her arms again, looking skeptical.

"No, it looks tacky, get someone to fix that."

"Oh." Yerim exhaled. "Yeah, you're right, the colors are clashing." She chuckled awkwardly and ran off to find someone to collect the feathers.

As soon as they were finished with their classes today, the organizing committee as Chaeyoung called them, had gathered here to deal with the last-minute preparations for the party.

The organizing was smooth sailing so far but Chaeyoung couldn't bring herself to relax. She needed everything to be perfect. She searched her purse for a hand mirror and her hand grazed against her phone. She fought against the masochistic urge to pull it out and look at it. She called Chanyeol three times and left him five messages already but he was still nowhere to be found. Instead of her annoyingly silent phone, Chaeyoung took out her mirror and looked at her reflection. Her skin was clear and glowing and her freshly touched up blonde hair brightened her face.

However, not even looking glamorous could help brighten Chaeyoung's mood when the party started a bit later. Sooyoung and Yerim were chattering excitedly about the gift bags Chaeyoung has prepared for the guests and the place was quickly filling up with familiar faces. Chaeyoung's eyes darted around the huge room which was throbbing with music and people, but she still couldn't spot the one she was hoping to see.

After saying hello and welcoming a few guests, Chaeyoung took a seat by the bar, only to hear her zipper make an ominous sound and feel her dress loosen around her waist. She looked down at the silver satin dress she was wearing. It made her look sparkly and elegant, but the problem she had with the zipper before the party made her nervous. She reached for her back and sure enough, the dress had unzipped and she had to hold it together with her hand.

"I'll be right back." She told Sooyoung and Yerim, practically running for the powder room. But she never made it there.

Before she'd gotten there, one of the upperclassmen Chaeyoung had invited stopped her.

"Hey." The girl said, holding out her hand and smiling. "I love the flowers in this place. And your dress!"

Talk about bad timing.

Chaeyoung stared at the girl's hand. Her own right hand was holding together her dress, so she reached out to awkwardly shake hands with her left one.

"Thanks for inviting me." The girl said as they clasped hands. "This party is so cool."

Chaeyoung flashed her a polite smile and pulled her hand away. She felt like her dress is going to fall down to the floor any second now. Her eyes darted around the crowded room, desperately seeking help.

There was Sooyoung dancing with someone. There was Yerim picking a glass of champagne from the waiter's tray. There were Chanyeol's friends, laughing at an unheard joke. All the extras were there, but where was her leading man.

"Chae?"

She turned around and saw Chanyeol pushing his way through the crowd toward her. His hair was slightly messy and he wasn't wearing a tuxedo she specifically told him to wear. He looked more like a forgettable supporting actor than a leading man Chaeyoung had pictured.

Suppressing the anger she felt because he was late and ignored her calls as well as her outfit suggestion, she opened her eyes wide asking for help. The girl she was talking to frowned and turned around to see what Chaeyoung was staring at. She made a run for it and Chanyeol stepped in just in time.

She eased her way into the ladies room stall and finally let go of her dress, making it sag. Soon after she heard Chanyeol call her name, cautiously pushing open the ladies room door. "Are you in here?"

Chaeyoung was crouched in the end stall and she felt like crying. Nothing was going according to plan tonight.

"I'll be right out." She said softly, waiting for him to leave.

But Chanyeol pushed the ladies room door open all the way and stepped inside. He softly knocked on the only stall that was closed. Chaeyoung opened the stall door. "You're still here?"

"I'm still here." He repeated.

"I'm fine." She said. "You can go back to the party."

"You look nice." Chanyeol said, ignoring her. He reached and rubbed her bare shoulder, then zipped her dress back up with ease.

"Thanks." Chaeyoung said, her lower lip starting to tremble again. "So do you."

"I'm sorry, Chae. I really am." Chanyeol began. Chaeyoung nodded, trying to stop herself from crying. "I had a family thing before this and I didn't hear my phone. I really wish I made it in time, but the party looks incredible and it's all thanks to you. I wouldn't have been able to make it any more perfect than this."

Chaeyoung swallowed. He said it just right. She put her arms around his neck and let him hold her.

"So is everything alright now?" He asked. "Are we good?"

Chaeyoung caught the reflection of the two of them together in the bathroom mirror and nodded.

"But only if you promise to stay away from Jennie." She sniffled. "Sooyoung saw you talking to her in school the other day."

"I just wanted to say hello, I mean we haven't seen her in almost ten years." Chanyeol sighed. "What even happened with you two? Why do you hate her so much?"

It was Chaeyoung's turn to sigh now.

"Can you just do this one thing for me?"

He slowly nodded. "Fine, I promise."

Then they kissed a soft, quick kiss. And just like that Chaeyoung was on a victory lap in her head.

"Come on." She said, pulling away and checking herself out in the mirror. "Let's go back."

Holding hands, they left the ladies room. Sooyoung spotted them and smiled knowingly as she walked past them on the way in.

"You guys, get a room!"

  
  
  


*

  


 

"We'll see you girls later. Don't stay out too long and be good!" Jisoo's aunt bid her goodbye.

"You heard your aunt Jichu, don't skate over the speed limit!" Her uncle said, laughing at his own lame joke. Jennie and Jisoo forced a courteous chuckle but as soon as the front door closed, Jennie shot the other girl an icy glare.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun!" Jisoo exclaimed.

Jennie, now perched on the arm of the sofa in Jisoo's uncle's living room, didn't sound convinced. When Jisoo told her she needed her help with a very important mission she didn't realize that would mean she'd be stuck on babysitting duty. Jisoo's uncle and his wife had an urgent business dinner to attend to which meant their sixteen year old daughter Yuna was left all alone. Fortunately for her and _unfortunately_ for Jennie, Jisoo's mom was kind enough to offer Jisoo's help. Going to the movies and taking a high schooler to an ice skating rink wasn't how Jennie imagined her Friday night would go - but it still beat going to Chaeyoung's party.

"Did my parents leave?" Yuna suddenly shouted from her bedroom.

"Yes!" Jisoo yelled back, then continued talking when she heard Yuna's bedroom door open. "So what kind of movies do you like? Something with animated animals or-? Oh my god."

The cute, slightly dorky girl Jennie had met just twenty minutes ago walked out in an inappropriately short dress, six inch heels, thick mascara and a smile on her face.

"I've got a credit card and a fake ID, so should we go to a bar first or straight to a club?" Yuna asked, visibly concerned about the answer to her question.

If Jisoo's jaw wasn't fixed to her skull it would've been on the floor. She was staring at her little cousin in disbelief, failing to grasp what was in front of her.

" _We_ are going to see a Disney movie, ice skate and go home before your curfew. Yuna, go change. Now." Jisoo ordered with a bossy tone Jennie has never heard before.

However, the look on Yuna's face was one of pure bewilderment.

"No way! I finally got a night away from mom and dad and I know you know all the hottest places in the city!" Her voice squeaked as she whined. The entire situation was insanely comical, but Jennie had enough courtesy not to laugh - especially since Jisoo looked like she's going to pop a blood vessel any second now.

"Jennie, can I talk to you for a second?" Jisoo said, not once looking away from Yuna, who stubbornly stared back. Jennie swiftly got up from the sofa and slipped into the guest room with Jisoo, who shut the living room door behind them.

"I thought you said your little cousin was more of a Harry Potter and ice cream fan and less of a... Lindsey Lohan." Jennie said.

"Well that's what I thought. We need to drag her to the movies by any means necessary. I can't get us in any trouble."

"Relax." Jennie tried to calm her down, which didn't seem to work. She rubbed the pink band aid Jisoo gave her with her thumb, thinking. "How about we tell her we'll take her to a bar but go to the movies instead? By then it'll be too late."

"That's not a bad idea." Jisoo said, after pondering about it for a moment. "Come on, let's do it."

Just then, Jennie's phone chimed.

"Just a second." Jennie said, pulling it out of her pocket, while Jisoo left the room.

**I hope you have fun at Chaeyoung's party.**

A message from her aunt read.

Jennie sighed, and pushed her phone back into her pocket. Hyelim has probably told her aunt that Jennie wasn't planning on going. This was her aunt's passive aggressive way of sending a message - literally. Jennie was wondering if showing up to Chaeyoung's party to please her aunt would've been a better idea than suffering the consequences later on, when Jisoo stormed back into the room.

"Jennie, she's gone!"

"Huh? Who's gone?" Jennie sounded confused.

"What do you mean who?" Jisoo asked, almost yelling. "Yuna! She left the house!"

  


 

*

 

 

"Well hello." A deep voice said, hovering above Yuna.

She looked up, her eyes settled on a very handsome guy and she sucked in her breath. He looked like a Hollywood star.

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" He said, staring at her.

"To who?" Yuna asked, frowning.

The guy just laughed, and held out his hand. She hesitated for a moment before taking it. He lead her over to the marble staircase and nodded toward the man guarding the door. "She's with me."

He slipped his arm around her waist and squeezed her tight as they entered a dimly lit room bursting with music and people. Yuna realized he didn't even tell her his name, or asked her for hers. But he was so handsome and the party looked so awesome that she didn't even care.

  


 

*

  


 

"Straight to voice mail." Jisoo sighed.

They've been trying to reach Yuna ever since she ran out of the house, but to no avail.

"Don't worry, she couldn't have gotten that far." Jennie tried to comfort her, without really having any idea what to say. She had always been horrible at finding the right words. "Did you try texting any of her friends? Maybe she's with them."

Jisoo frowned. "I don't really know any of her friends. But I guess I can message one of her friends on social media."

She quickly started tapping and scrolling through her phone.

"Does Yuna know you stalk her online accounts?" Jennie asked jokingly.

"Probably. I leave comments sometimes." Jisoo said, deeply focused on what she was doing. "But under an alias." She added.

"An alias?" Jennie repeated, now amused. "What is it?"

"God." Jisoo said, chuckling mischievously, making Jennie laugh as well.

"Okay, mama bear." She teased.

Jisoo looked ruefully at the time on her phone screen. "Well someone's got to play the role."

"What are you talking about?"

Jisoo let out a long sigh and tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "I don't know. I guess Yuna's parents aren't around that much. She's almost always alone - or with a babysitter. It's not that surprising she acts up." Jisoo said quietly.

A lump formed in Jennie's throat. She knew just how that felt. While they were alive, Jennie's parents weren't there for her much either.

"The funny thing is, I think it's my fault this happened." Jisoo traced her finger along the edge of her phone. "Yuna always looked up to me, ever since she was a little girl. When I got her her first Chanel purse all she wanted to do is be a model like her big cousin. Last year she begged her parents to let her be homeschooled like I was in high school."

Jennie stared at her. "You were homeschooled?"

"Yeah, after I got signed it was hard to keep going to school every day. That's when everyone got distant too... Sometimes I wish I waited a bit, maybe then you would've still had friends to return to." She gave Jennie a vulnerable smile.

Jennie touched Jisoo's thin arm, not sure what to say, but somehow the silence wasn't uncomfortable or awkward. Just then Jisoo gasped at her phone screen and turned it toward Jennie.

"Look, Yuna just posted this on her story. Isn't this where Chaeyoung's party is supposed to be?" She asked.

Jennie squinted at the phone screen, looking at a glamorous restaurant. "I think so." She nodded.

Jisoo bolted up, grabbing her jacket and her purse.

"Well what are we waiting for?"

  


 

*

 

 

"Do you think they'll let us in?" Jisoo whispered to Jennie when their cab pulled up in front of the place of Chaeyoung's party.

They eyed a moody bouncer standing out front.

"I think so. Chaeyoung invited me herself."

"So you have your invitation?"

Jennie frowned. "No, I never got one. Why? Are you supposed to have it?"

Jisoo rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess Chaeyoung didn't want you to come after all. Good thing I came up with a backup plan." She smiled and shook her phone in the air.

As on cue, Chanyeol stepped out of the party and walked up to them. When he noticed Jennie he froze and mummbled an almost inaudible "Hello".

He cleared his throat and turned to Jisoo.

"So you're sure your cousin is here?" He asked.

"Yes Chanyeol I told you already. Just get us in."

He nodded and walked past the bouncer who looked at the two girls suspiciously, but chose to ignore them after he saw Chanyeol walking right by them.

When they entered the party, a slow love song was playing and gorgeously dressed couples held onto each other and swayed beneath the soft lights.

A few people looked them up and down. Jennie suddenly felt very self conscious and exposed.

"Let's split up." Jisoo suggested, scanning the crowded room. Jennie nodded and went in the opposite direction than the one Jisoo was headed in. Chanyeol paused for a moment.

"Wait up!" He told Jisoo and followed her.

Jennie pushed her way forward, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of Yuna. However, the only familiar face she noticed was Chaeyoung's, at the edge of the dance floor. She noticed Jennie too, and their eyes met. Chaeyoung glared at her before whispering something into Sooyoung's ear, making the other girl giggle. Then, to Jennie's surprise, Chaeyoung started heading toward her.

"I'm glad you could make it!" She said, and Jennie immediately thought of the invitation she never received.

Jennie forced a smile. "I like your dress." She said truthfully. Chaeyoung's dress matched with her blonde hair made her look like a Disney princess.

"Thank you. And your outfit is so um... interesting." Chaeyoung said in a voice that sounded like she was complimenting Jennie, but the way she put it didn't feel like it. Jennie _was_ underdressed compared to everyone else here, in her skinny jeans and a button up shirt, but it's not like she planned on showing up here anyway.

"Don't forget to pick up your gift bag." Chaeyoung began saying but then her smile turned into an icy glare. Jennie turned around to see what Chaeyoung was looking it. It was Jisoo, frantically looking left and right, still searching for Yuna.

"Oh and next time I invite you to a party, please note that you can't bring a plus one." Chaeyoung said, her mouth settling into a straight, annoyed line.

"I can't find her." Jisoo said to Jennie, raking her hand through her long brown hair and putting another one on Jennie's shoulder. Chaeyoung's eyes lingered on Jisoo's hand for a moment, before she peeled them away and darted back to her friends.

Jennie kept her eyes on Chaeyoung, until she disappeared behind a crowd of people. She focused on what Jisoo was saying.

"Have you checked the ladies room?"

"Good idea." Jisoo said and grabbed Jennie's palm, dragging her to the bathroom. Instantly, Jennie's mind wandered off to what happened the last time Jisoo took her hand at a party and lead her to a bathroom. Suddenly, her hand started feeling hot and sweaty and she wondered what would happen if she just twirled Jisoo around and embraced her.

The ladies room was empty when they entered, and Jennie was just about to suggest they try calling Yuna again when they heard a girl gasp inside one of the stalls. Jisoo and Jennie exchanged silent looks, walked past the row of stalls until they reached the one that was locked.

Jisoo softly knocked on it.

"Yuna? You in there?"

"Yes!" They heard her whimper from inside.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Another voice said, a male one.

Jisoo banged on the door this time.

"Open the door now!"

The door opened a few inches.

"Who are you?" A guy Jennie had never seen before asked.

Jisoo pushed the door open just wide enough for them to see Yuna backed up against the wall, looking terrified.

Someone pulled open the bathroom door.

"Jisoo? Did you find her?" Chanyeol called.

"Hey, what is going on?" The guy inside the bathroom stall asked when Yuna slipped by him and into Jisoo's arms. Jisoo caressed her hair and looked down at her.

"Did he do something to you?"

"What the hell? We were just talking!" The guy raised his voice. "Tell her."

"Get lost before you get yourself kicked out of this party." Chanyeol said, sizing the guy up. The guy shrugged and grabbed a bottle of water off the bathroom counter. "Whatever." He said, walking past them and out the door.

Jisoo pulled her jacket off her and wrapped it around Yuna's shoulders.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked gently.

"Yes I'm fine, nothing happened I promise." Yuna finally managed to say. "Just take me home."

Jisoo put her arm around her little cousin and Jennie took her hand. Together with Chanyeol, they wound their way through the crowded party.

"Wait, your gift bags!" A girl squealed from the post at the front door. She handed each of them a black tote bag. Chanyeol pushed open the doors and ran out into the street to hail a cab.

"Leaving so soon?" Chaeyoung intercepted them, with Sooyoung and Yerim on both of her sides. They reminded Jennie of evil minions, and Chaeyoung was their queen.

"Chaeyoung please, it's been a long night. We weren't going to stay anyway." Jisoo said, sounding tired.

Before Chaeyoung got to reply with what was going to be a snarky remark, Jennie was sure of it, Chanyeol ran up to them.

"I found you guys a cab." He said.

Sooyoung and Yerim nudged each other and stared at Chaeyoung. Chaeyoung stared at him blankly, her face turning red.

Jennie's eyes darted from one face to another. Clearly something was off. Suddenly, Chaeyoung swirled around and ran up the stairs back to the party. Sooyoung and Yerim gave them a disgusted look, as if they were something that got stuck to the bottom of their shoes, before they left the scene as well.

"Chaeyoung!" Chanyeol called after her. "I'm sorry, I have to go." He said to Jisoo, Jennie and Yuna, and hurried away after Chaeyoung, without saying goodbye.

"Come on." Jisoo told them, getting into the car that was waiting for them, and Yuna and Jennie followed.

Today was a strange day, Jennie thought, the adrenaline rush she felt earlier disappearing and leaving her exhausted. In the darkness of the taxi, she reached for Jisoo's hand at the same moment Jisoo reached for hers and as they sped past the flashing bright lights she closed her eyes.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out to be lengthier than I imagined it to be so I hope you guys enjoy it. Thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments I appreciate it a lot! Keep telling me your thoughts on the story.


	5. Chapter 5

"Something about Jisoo looked weird." Sooyoung said leaning towards Chaeyoung. "Do you think she's gained weight?"

"Definitely." Yerim answered instead. "But that's what happens when you drink a full-calorie milkshake at lunchbreak."

Chaeyoung flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder, focused on her phone. "Or when you crash people's parties." She murmured.

It was a Saturday morning and Chaeyoung was stretched out on her bed with Sooyoung and Yerim. A pop song was playing, and the girls were flicking through their phones and magazines and chatting about Chaeyoung's party. Sooyoung and Yerim said that it was one of the most fabulous parties they attended - a perfect way to kick off the year. For Chaeyoung, it was nothing short of a disaster. It was as if everything that could've went wrong that night did go wrong. But she decided that Sooyoung and Yerim didn't need to know that. She'll let them believe she had a blast.

Yerim reached for her phone and lowered the volume of the music that was playing.

"So Rosé, has Chanyeol texted you again?" 

Chaeyoung rolled her eyes. "Like ten times this morning. But he's going to have to work harder than that to get on my good side again."

In reality, he texted her three times.

First time to apologize, and second to ask her if they can talk. The third message was to correct a typo he made in the previous one. Chaeyoung opened and ignored all of them.

"He's such a dick." Sooyoung said. "And, I mean, who does Jennie think she is?"

"Did you see what she was wearing too?"

Chaeyoung tried, she truly did try to act like Jennie coming back wouldn't change a thing for her. She would still be Chaeyoung. The magnetic, witty, smart, beautiful girl everyone loved to be around even for a few minutes. Chanyeol more than anyone else. But it seems like her life has fallen off tracks the moment Jennie stepped out of that plane.

Tuning out of the conversation her friends were having, Chaeyoung glanced at the vanity mirror. Even her face looked bloated.

Suddenly, she got off from the bed and walked up to her bookshelf. She stood on top of her toes, seemingly aimlessly groping the top shelf, barely reaching it. After a few moments, her hand stopped tapping the bookshelf after she found what she was searching for. She pulled it slowly.

In her hands was a slightly crumpled piece of a paper ripped out of a notebook. She stared at the familiar spiky handwriting. Not too many people made their lowercase S look like a curly number two. Writing a funny looking S was a habit Chanyeol had never been able to break.

_ I've been waiting patiently to tell you this for a long time but I just couldn't wait anymore. I care about you a lot, more than just a best friend. If you feel the same about me, even a little, then come meet me outside the backyard tonight when everyone else is asleep. I will wait for you. _

When Chaeyoung read this note for the very first time she felt like her entire heart was going to burst like confetti. It was the most romantic thing in the world to an eight grader. She found it in the pocket of her pink backpack right after her birthday party had finished and she felt like she got a belated birthday present. Chanyeol was by far the cutest boy Chaeyoung had ever seen and a subject of her constant daydreaming. She had already started plotting how she was going to sneak out of the guest house where she was having a sleepover with Lisa, Jennie and Jisoo when her heart shattered to pieces. Her and Jennie used to get matching things, like bracelets, t-shirts, and a certain pink backpack. When she saw that the note was addressed to Jennie instead it wasn't hard to guess that Chanyeol had confused the two backpacks.

She stared at the note she had basically stolen almost ten years ago. Back then, she didn't have any doubts about not giving the note to Jennie and letting Chanyeol wait and wait until his heart was just as broken as hers was. But looking back at it, she couldn't help but wonder if it would've been better if she was a better friend, to the both of them. In a way, Jennie receiving that note could've stopped some other things from happening that night, things that still plagued Chaeyoung's mind every now and again. But most of all, despite how much she hated to admit it, Chaeyoung couldn't help but feel a sting of guilt. Whereas before Chanyeol's note only invoked jealousy, as his handwriting started to fade just like Jennie did from her memory, guilt started creeping up on her. Sometimes she despised herself for what she did to Jennie that night, because the next day the accident happened and it was the last time she had ever seen her.

Well, before she came back to ruin Chaeyoung's life.

"Rosé, what's that?" Sooyoung suddenly called.

"Nothing." Chaeyoung whispered.

"Is it a  _ luuuuuv _ letter?" Yerim cooed. "From a secret admirer?"

Chaeyoung glanced at Sooyoung and Yerim, who were lying on her bed in their short pleated skirts. They both stared at her like wolves, as if they could smell her weakness.

"It's just some old trash." Chaeyoung laughed it off, but returned the note to the top of her shelf instead of throwing it into the trashcan. 

"Anyway, look." She jumped back on the bed between them, unlocking her phone that buzzed just moments before. "Chanyeol texted me again."

  
  


 

*

  
  


 

Jennie and Lisa flashed the passes they had around their necks to a bouncer who immediately let them inside a studio that was brimming with people.

"I think it's this way." Lisa said, leading Jennie around a man who was being interviewed and photographed for a few different magazines. French pop music bubbled out of invisible speakers. Photographers with long-lensed digital cameras and interns pushing wheeled hangers paced past them briskly.

In front of a white wall, under the spotlights and in front of a dozen flashing cameras stood Jisoo in all her glory, a silk black dress that fit her like it was made just for her - which it probably was, Jennie later noted - falling on her body. She tossed her hair which was dyed in a darker shade of brown than the last time Jennie had seen her and parted her lips outlined with red lipstick.

"That's good." A photographer said. "Your eyes look amazing."

Before saying goodbye to Jisoo and her little cousin Yuna last night, Jisoo and Jennie exchanged their phone numbers and promised each other another outing, this time with less Chaeyoung and less chasing after high-schoolers. It came the next day, when Jisoo invited Jennie to come to her magazine shooting together with Lisa. Jennie was a bit hesitant and Lisa was absolutely thrilled. So naturally, they decided to go.

_ Snap. Snap. Snap. _

Lisa and Jennie came closer to the art director's computer screen, observing the pictures that were taken. Jisoo posed and changed her expressions so effortlessly. Her movements enthralled Jennie and when Lisa leaned in to whisper "She's really good." to Jennie all she could do is keep her eyes peeled to Jisoo, barely even nodding in agreement.

"That was great. Let's take a fifteen minute break now before the next shooting." The photographer instructed before rushing off to grab a paper cup of coffee.

As soon as the camera flashes stopped, Jisoo's entire aura took a 180. The determined gaze in her eyes disappeared and she went back to her bubbly self. She spotted Jennie and Lisa right away and rushed towards them.

"Lisa, Jen!" She exclaimed and give them both a quick hug.

"That was  _ so good. _ " Lisa said, still looking impressed. She was staring at Jisoo as if she was starstruck, and it took Jennie a moment to remember that they haven't exactly hung out together since god knows when. 

"Yeah, it wasn't bad." Jennie said, purposely making her compliment as underwhelming as she could.

Lisa smacked her shoulder.

"Oh please, if your mouth gaped open any further it would be on the floor."

Jisoo laughed along but gave Jennie a mischievous look which Lisa completely missed and which made Jennie blush.

" _ Ma cherie!"  _ A tall man with curly black hair, dressed head to toe in navy blue suddenly put his hand around Jisoo's waist. "That was wonderful! As always."

He scanned the other two girls in front of him and grinned brightly.

"Beautiful girls. Models as well I assume?"

"No, not at all." Lisa laughed, and Jennie shook her head.

The man gasped.

"You must model for me!"

"Chill Beau." Jisoo said and it immediately clicked in Jennie's head. Beau was the photo-artist Jisoo told her about last night. He shot regularly for fashion magazines such as Vogue and W, both internationally and in Korea. "They're only here to watch. Unless?" Jisoo ended with a question, arching her eyebrow.

Lisa shook her head adamantly. "No, thank you."

Jennie glanced at Jisoo who was already looking at her expectantly. She felt hot and fidgety under her stare. She has never done any sort of photoshoot before, let alone modeled. But somehow she felt like she would be letting Jisoo down if she said no as well, so she brushed her hesitance away.

"Sure, why not?" She said, although she had no idea what she was agreeing to.

Beau clasped his hands in excitement and Jisoo squealed.

"This is gonna be so much fun!"

"Darling you look stunning so you've got nothing to worry about. Go on." Beau said pointing at the female dressing room door. "We'll be waiting."

Jisoo flashed her an encouraging smile before Jennie was lead to the dressing room.

As soon as she entered she took a red dress and a leather jacket offered to her by one of the stylists and sat down to get her makeup done. She felt a rush of adrenaline as she watched her reflection in the mirror, the stylist quickly putting heavy earrings on her ears while the makeup artist was applying shiny eyeshadow on her lids. In no time, she was ready.

When she left the dressing room, Jisoo was readily waiting for her in-between the white wall and cameras. Lisa, who took a seat behind the art director and the photographers gave her a thumbs up, mouthing  _ You got this. _

Jennie swallowed hard, feeling her hands get sweaty. After taking a few shaky breaths she stepped under the spotlight and sat down on the vintage looking couch, next to Jisoo. Beau switched the music from a French tune to a bassline heavy American pop song and arranged a couple of lights. Instantly, Jisoo began to sway back and forth, entranced by the sound of the music.

"Good." Beau murmured. "Jisoo that's a good expression, keep that up."

Jennie, on the other hand, wasn't sure what to do. The lights beamed hotly on her skin and she unzipped her leather jacket.

"Jennie, don't let Jisoo outshine you. Look at her like you would look at your lover."

Jennie's expression hardened, she had no idea this was going to be the concept. She reluctantly turned towards Jisoo, fairly certain that she looked more terrified than in love. Beau seemed to agree, as he smacked his bubblegum in annoyance.

"That's no good." He said, but before he could blurt out more instructions Jisoo took the lead.

"Let me." She said gently and put her arm around Jennie's waist, pulling her closer.

"That's better." Beau murmured. "Now fling your hair back and forth. Good!" 

_ Snap. Snap. Snap. _

Jennie did as she was told, making her hair spill over her shoulders. In the heat of the moment she flung her leather jacket to reveal the red dress underneath. Jisoo caressed Jennie's hipbones through the fabric of her dress, while a strap of her own dress fell off her shoulder, revealing her bare skin, but she didn't pause to fix it. Jisoo's eyes and red, kissable lips were beginning to mesmerize Jennie. Jisoo leaned closer to Jennie's neck and intentionally breathed onto her. A gasp escaped Jennie's mouth.

"Pretty!" Beau exclaimed from behind the camera.

Amidst the luscious music, the hot lights and the camera flashes, Jennie's heart was beating hard against her chest. Jisoo's touches have gotten more intense and she pushed Jennie away, only to swing her body around and lay her on the couch, positioning her knees on both of Jennie's sides.

Jennie felt dizzy, almost forgetting that she was doing an actual photoshoot in that moment. They left their bodies intertwined and eyes locked for a couple of seconds that seemed like years to Jennie.

"That was amazing J and J!" Beau cut through Jennie's trance. "You two are done for today."

Jennie blinked, and before she even realized it, Jisoo was off of her, straightening her dress and grabbing a free glass of gin martini offered to her.

The spotlights were turned off and the photographers and interns scattered around the studio. Lisa ran towards them, looking even more ecstatic than before.

"Wow, that was incredible. Jennie are you sure you aren't a professional model?"

"I was wondering the same thing." Jisoo added.

Jennie shushed both of them, but she couldn't hide the way her face beamed. She still felt nervous and tingly but in those few minutes she felt like the most beautiful girl on earth. And the fact that she got to do this with Jisoo was just the cherry on top.

"You had some crazy chemistry. I'm sure these pictures will turn out amazing." Lisa raved about the photoshoot and Jennie had to agree with her. Their chemistry transmitted through the room, making Beau grin wider and wider with each shot that he took.

Jennie and Jisoo made their way to the now vacant dressing room. Jisoo instantly started slipping out of her silk dress and changing into her regular clothes, while Jennie tried to stay focused on the artsy black and white pictures on the wall whilst she was changing into her t-shirt.

Without a warning, Jisoo pressed herself against unsuspecting Jennie who had changed into the clothes she came here in as well. Heat flushed Jennie's skin as she turned around to face Jisoo who stared at her teasingly.

Instantly, Jennie gave into Jisoo's magnetic pull - and her hand that gripped tightly the edge of Jennie's t-shirt, pulling her into a kiss. She moaned hotly into Jisoo's mouth when the other girl slipped her hands under her t-shirt and ran them against Jennie's bare back.

Then, Jisoo leaned back.

"God I've been wanting to do that again." She whispered breathily, her wild eyes piercing into Jennie's, who didn't dare look away.

"Did I make you wait too long?" Jennie asked, toying with Jisoo's necklace hanging from her neck.

"It was worth it." Jisoo said, her voice low. She pressed her lips against Jennie's neck, lazily dragging her tongue from her neck to her lips and then to the shell of her ear.

Jennie wanted to melt into her. Give her all to Jisoo.

But instead they both parted after remembering where they were. Their hearts were synced, beating loudly.

"Lisa's probably wondering what's taking us so long." Jennie said, suddenly unable to handle the intensity of Jisoo's eyes.

"She probably is." Jisoo agreed, but neither of them moved an inch. Not until Jisoo leaned in closely once again, slightly grazing her moist lips against Jennie's, sending electricity down her spine.

And just when Jennie was about to give up and give in once again, Jisoo pulled away and turned towards the door, grabbing her wrist and yanking it sharply.

She turned over her shoulder and smiled a menacing smile.

"You sure love to keep people waiting." She hummed.

  
  


 

*

  
  


 

Jennie noticed the ominous gray clouds gathering overhead through a wide window. She was just about to head for the studio exit, when a slender girl put her hand around Jisoo's waist and hugged her a little too tightly.

"Hey you." Jisoo said, smiling charmingly. "We missed you last week."

The girl was model-thin, had long black hair and wore a dress similar to the one Jisoo and Jennie were wearing earlier, during the shooting.

"I know, I missed you too." The girl pouted cutely. "But Paris was incredible."

Jisoo sighed longingly. "Like always."

"You want to grab a drink with me and the others after I'm finished? We  _ have _ to catch up!" The girl emphasized, casually placing her hand on Jisoo's shoulder.

Jisoo looked uncertain when she glanced at Jennie and Lisa who were standing behind her. The black haired girl followed Jisoo's gaze.

"Oh! Are you Jisoo's little college friends?" The girl's voice dripped with sarcasm, noticing them for the first time. Without waiting for an answer she faced Jisoo again and continued talking. "I don't want to intrude. We can catch up some other time."

Jennie's insides burbled and a possessive feeling began to course through her veins. But she brushed it off swiftly. It's not like her and Jisoo were anything more than friends with a few benefits anyway.

"It's okay." Lisa said loudly. "We were about to go home anyway."

Jisoo shot her and Jennie a questioning look. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, totally." Jennie said in a cool and unbothered voice.

The girl shrugged, linking arms with Jisoo, who glanced at Jennie apologetically. She watched them for a moment, her cheeks blazing and then she turned back to Lisa, who wrapped her jacket around her shoulders.

When they exited the tall studio building the rain started to hurtle down from the sky and thunder broke overhead, making Jennie flinch and Lisa giggle. The two of them bolted for Lisa's dry and snuggly car. A gust of wind blew up Jennie's skirt and she stepped in an enormous puddle. "Damn it." She muttered before sliding into the passenger seat and shutting the door.

"Too bad Jisoo couldn't stick around longer." Lisa said, reaching over and turning up the heat. 

"Uh-huh." Jennie murmured quietly.

"Do you think she and that girl are hooking up?" Lisa asked, making Jennie's breath hitch and eyes widen.

"What makes you say that?" She answered with a question.

Lisa gave her a sly look.

"Come on, did you see the way she was looking at her."

Jennie's brain raced a million miles a minute, trying to figure out who exactly was looking at who in which way.

"I haven't noticed anything." Jennie said, suddenly feeling uneasy.

Lisa shrugged. "Maybe it's nothing. But with all those rumors going around it's hard not to get the wrong impression."

Jennie narrowed her eyes. "What rumors?"

"Oh right, you don't know." Lisa said, sounding apologetic for being so oblivious. "Well let's just say Jisoo's got quite a reputation." She added, peeking at Jennie, trying to gauge if she understood.

"Oh." Jennie mumbled, pressing her lips together.

"But I don't know. Half of it is probably not even true." Lisa admitted.

Jennie stared at her hands. Did Lisa really know so little about her former best friend?

"I take it you guys don't really talk that much." 

"Nope." Lisa shook her head. "Actually this is the first time we hung out since... I guess since you went away."

There was an awkward pause. The only sound in the car was the hurtling rain and the windshield wipers' rhythmic  _ whaps. _

Jennie sat up straighter and asked the question that has been bothering her ever since she returned. "So, like, what happened? I mean after I went away."

Lisa flicked the pine tree air freshener that hung from the rearview mirror, making it swing.

"I'm honestly not sure myself. Things were pretty weird that night, at Chaeyoung's birthday party. After that we hung out a few times, until we just stopped. It was too awkward and forced."

Jennie glanced outside the window toward the muddy, wet street, debating. The truth is that when she woke up in the hospital after the accident she wasn't able to remember anything that happened the day before that at all. Including Chaeyoung's birthday party. She felt a twinge of guilt for not mentioning this earlier, but she couldn't find the right time to do it.  _ Besides,  _ she reminded herself,  _ is there ever a good time to tell someone that you suffered from a memory loss after an accident that killed your parents? _

Jennie took a breath. "I actually don't really know what happened at Chaeyoung's birthday party at all." She said in a small, sad voice.

Lisa frowned, glancing at Jennie. "What do you mean?"

Jennie crossed and uncrossed her legs. "I mean I don't remember almost the entirety of the day before the accident. The doctors said I probably never will."

Lisa leaned forward, letting out an inaudible gasp.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Jennie shrugged. "It's kind of a relief though. I'm glad I don't remember the accident." A silence passed. "Or the party, if it was as weird as you say it was."

"Well," Lisa cleared her throat. "It was the sleepover that was weird. Jisoo and Chaeyoung, um, had some sort of an argument. Then you started acting strange as well. The three of you didn't exchange a word until the morning. I think Chaeyoung pretended she was asleep before, um, your parents picked you up."

They were silent for a moment. Then Jennie sighed.

"So we were well on our way to falling apart, even before I left."

Lisa thoughtfully pushed a strand of hair behind her ears. "Look, this is the first time in  _ nine  _ years that me and Jisoo have just casually talked and hung out. I have a good feeling about this. And like it or not, you're back with us now, and we won't let you get away again so easily."

Jennie blinked.

Lisa definitely had a point. Today just felt so right and natural - there were no awkward silences and forced conversations between the three of them. It was just what you would picture when you think of old friends spending time together. Jennie brushed over the fact that Chaeyoung wasn't in the picture, she made that choice herself. And besides, it certainly would be nice to have close friend again, even if one of them came with benefits.

"You know what? You're right." Jennie decided.

Lisa grinned. "I know I am."

The rain was still pelting the windshield when Lisa started  the car that had gotten really warm while they were talking. Jennie glanced outside of the window, at the passing cars and buildings. Her eyes went right to an ad for vacation packages to Jeju island that was spread across a public transportation bus.  _ All your dreams will come true,  _ the ad assured her.

They'd better.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Chapter 6

"Don't you think Mr Lee is hot?" Sooyoung asked, eyeing their professor Mr Lee who was leaning against the coffee bar, chatting with the barista and waiting for his latte. 

Chaeyoung scrunched up her nose and set her coffee cup on the table. "Isn't he like forty or something?"

"That's not too old." Yerim lifted a fry off her plate and nibbled at it.

The three girls were sitting in the university cafeteria, they made it their tradition to come here every day after their classes had ended.

"Well Rosé wouldn't know, she only has eyes for Chanyeol." Sooyoung gave Yerim a knowing look and the latter giggled. When Mr Lee passed their table they both smiled and batted their eyelashes at him.

"That's not true!" Chaeyoung protested, frowning. "Actually, we're probably not getting back together." She added, finally piquing the other two girls' interest, as they peeled their eyes away from Mr Lee's backside and gave her surprised looks. It wasn't exactly a lie, even though Chaeyoung came up with it on the spot. Last night, after pondering on it for hours and ignoring his calls and texts, Chaeyoung decided that it just isn't going to work between her and Chanyeol. She felt guilty about how liberating it felt to be away from him and she realized she was just looking for excuses to be angry. All she needed to do now is break it to him.

Sooyoung pursed her lips. "How come?"

Chaeyoung shrugged. "I think I need a break." She said mysteriously. 

There was a commotion at the front of the cafeteria, and the crowd parted. Four guys strutted by, lead by Chanyeol. Yerim jostled Chaeyoung's arm, making the silver bracelet around her wrist jingle.

"Speak of the devil." Yerim murmured, her eyes widening.

Chaeyoung's stomach churned and she swallowed hard, suddenly feeling nervous. She was definitely going to break things off with Chanyeol... eventually. But she didn't expect the opportunity to come this soon. She took a long sip of her coffee and followed Yerim and Sooyoung, who were already strolling over to the boys. Instantly, the two of them started talking to his friends, leaving Chanyeol at Chaeyoung's mercy.

"Hey you." He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Hi." Chaeyoung said with a stiff smile, and motioned him to distance themselves from the rest of their friends.

"You didn't answer my texts." Chanyeol noted.

"Um, my phone was dead." Chaeyoung murmured and immediately regretted it when Chanyeol glanced down at the phone she was holding.

"Oh." He said and smiled. Chaeyoung took a long time to respond.

"Look, I'm sorry for ignoring you. I just needed time... to think about everything I guess."

Chanyeol raised his eyebrows.

"So? Are you ready to talk now?"

"Um, yeah." Chaeyoung cleared her throat. "I think we should take a break." She blurted out.

Chanyeol looked stunned and Chaeyoung took a deep breath and held it.

"Wait, what?" He asked, burrowing his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry." She rubbed her hand and looked away from his hurt expression.

"I don't understand... Is it because of the Jennie thing because-" He started, but Chaeyoung cut him off.

"It's not..." She exhaled sharply. "It's not about Jennie. We just need a break.  _ I  _ just need a break Chanyeol."

His face darkened.

"Fine." He said but it didn't sound too convincing.

"I'm sorry, okay, but it's for the best." Chaeyoung added, not sounding kind, but not mean either. Just... detached.

"That's cool" He forced a smile.

"Rosé, c'mon we gotta go." A voice said. Chaeyoung jumped, startled. Yerim grabbed her hand.

Chaeyoung paused, her mind still reeling from the conversation she just had with Chanyeol. He smiled at her faintly.

"See you at the Drama thing." She murmured, before she allowed Yerim and Sooyoung to drag her out of the cafeteria.

  
  


 

*

  
  


 

Jennie was perched on the edge her chair in the university auditorium. In her hands was a ragged copy of Phantom of the Opera with all the lines for the Phantom, the character she was playing, highlighted in yellow marker. As she thumbed absently through the first scene, the prima donna Carlotta and the concierge Madame Giry, played by Jisoo and Sooyoung, were rehearsing their scene on the stage.

"Okay! Christine up on the stage!" Mr Lee, their professor  who was also the director of the play - when Nayeon wasn't taking his place in his absence - shouted. Chaeyoung climbed the rises, tucking the script under her arm, and Jisoo breezed past her and plumped down next to Jennie.

"So what are we doing later?" Jisoo leaned in whispered in her ear and Jennie felt every hair on her neck stand up straight. 

" _ We _ aren't doing anything." She managed, and untangled herself from Jisoo. "I have that big exam coming up remember?

Jisoo rolled her eyes.

"We can study together. Your place?"

"Are you even taking Environmental Sculpture?" Jennie raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, sure..." Jisoo said and burst with giggles when Jennie gave her an irritated look.

"Yeah, nice try." Jennie slapped Jisoo's shoulder playfully, a smile escaping her lips as well.

"Did you say Environmental Sculpture?" A deep voice said from behind them. Chanyeol, who leaned in from his chair, was smiling shyly.

"Are you taking it too?" Jennie asked.

"Yeah, but I regret it now. It's so confusing..." He said genuinely. "I'm definitely going to fail."

"Well then, we have to make a study group!" Jisoo rejoiced happily, clasping her hands together.

"No way!" Jennie protested loudly, and Chanyeol looked slightly offended.

"Oh, it's okay I didn't-"

"No, I mean Jisoo isn't even taking it!" Jennie quickly added, clearing up air that suddenly got awkward. "She'd be more of a nuisance than help." She glared at Jisoo who was still smiling dumbly.

Chanyeol, who had an entertained smile suddenly became frazzled. A shadow fell over them and Jennie looked up. She spotted Chaeyoung, Sooyoung and Yerim standing over them.

"I thought we were going to study together Wednesday?" Chaeyoung asked loudly.

"Oh, I-I didn't know we were still doing that..." He stammered, now completely derailed.

Jennie's eyes darted back and forth. Chanyeol licked his lips, looking guilty and Chaeyoung was gritting her teeth. If she didn't know any better she'd think that they were having an argument. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat suddenly remembering how furious Chaeyoung had looked when she saw them together at her party. Could they be fighting because of that?

Jisoo gently elbowed Jennie, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Why don't you join us?" She offered, putting on the most innocent of faces. "I can quiz all of you."

The three girls towering above them snickered at the proposal. "I'd rather just fail." Chaeyoung said coldly.

"Suit yourself." Jisoo shrugged and smiled triumphantly. She turned back to Chanyeol and Jennie, whose stomach churned sourly.

"So, later this week?" Jisoo asked and both Chanyeol and Jennie glanced back at Chaeyoung, whose jaw was basically on the floor. He apologetically raised his shoulders but Chaeyoung just rolled her eyes and stomped away.

One uncomfortable Drama class later, Jennie was shrugging into her black coat and stepping out of the auditorium together with Jisoo.

"I just need to pick something up from the library." Jisoo said, when Chaeyoung wordlessly pushed past them. Jennie's eyes traced her all the way to the end of the hallway, where she disappeared around the corner.

"You know, you might've went too far in there." Jennie suggested as they were walking down the wide staircase.

"I was just trying to help." Jisoo said innocently, walking ahead to library entrance, with Jennie by her side.

When they strode into the library, the old, leather-bound book smell greeted them. They silently made their way to the fourth row of bookshelves, trying not to disturb any of the students who were doing their work and studying in there.

"You know you didn't  _ actually _ want to study with Chaeyoung." Jennie persisted, now whispering. "Do you even want to study with Chanyeol?"

Jisoo glanced at her and frowned. "Why does it matter?"

"It doesn't." Jennie said quickly. "Well... I don't know, I just don't want to cause any more problems with Chaeyoung." She admitted, forgetting to whisper and earning a stern look from one of the girls who was revising near them.

Jisoo scanned the bookshelf in front of her, gently touching the spines of the hardcover books as she was searching for a particular one. She didn't say anything or look at Jennie for a few moments.

"Who cares? She's the one who started them." Jisoo said in a low voice, still keeping her eyes on the books in front of her.

Jennie stared fixedly at the floor. "I guess you're right."

"Ah." Jisoo exclaimed when she found the book she was looking for. She pulled it out but before she could shove it in her bag Jennie stopped her.

"Environmental Sculpture 101, seriously?" She grinned, looking at the name of the book.

"I told you I'm serious about helping you." Jisoo said with a radiant smile that made Jennie's insides flutter. She let her eyes linger on Jisoo a bit longer, taking in every little part of her. She caught her staring and widened her lips into another smile.

"Um, hi."

Someone was standing right in front of them, and Jennie hadn't even noticed them walk over. Averting her eyes from Jisoo, she looked at a girl who greeted them. Or more like, greeted Jisoo. That's who she was staring at, looking enamored.

"Y-You're Jisoo right?" The girl stuttered and her pale cheeks turned rosy pink behind her dark-framed glasses.

Something told Jennie that the unknown girl had already known who Jisoo was long before she approached them.

"Yeah, hi." Jisoo replied warmly, a reassuring smile spread across her face. "Is there something you need?"

"Oh, I..." The girl started but then paused and chuckled nervously, making Jisoo let out a laugh as well. Jennie let out a faint, polite laugh, not really sure what was so funny. No one seemed to hear her though.

"Actually, I've been meaning to approach you for a while." The girl said earnestly. "I guess I'm a big fan of your work."

Realization washed over Jennie's face when she realized that the girl was simply a fan of Jisoo's, but Jisoo on the other hand didn't look surprised at all. Jennie wondered if Jisoo often has strangers approaching her, asking for a picture or an autograph. The answer is probably positive, she concluded as she looked at Jisoo's side profile in admiration.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Jisoo said happily. "Do you perhaps want something signed or to take a picture?" She offered in a friendly voice.

"Oh, no, there's no need." The girl shook her head, and smiled shyly. "Um, actually, while I think your, uh, other work is amazing as well, I'm a fan of your poetry." She managed, stuttering.

Jisoo looked startled. "My poetry? I've only published a few poems online years ago."

"B 612, you wrote that one right?" The girl asked, her eyes brightening.

"Yeah!" Jisoo's eyes and smile grew wider. "You've... read that?"

"Of course!" The girl beamed. "It's beautiful, I have it framed on my wall." She said, smiling at the ground.

Jisoo's mouth hung open. She glanced at Jennie in an amazed way, as if she couldn't believe that she's a fan. Jennie, on the other hand, was more skeptical. She wanted to grab Jisoo's shoulders and shake her out of it. The girl probably dug up Jisoo's poetry only after becoming a fan of hers.

Another student approached and swept past them and the girl moved closer to Jisoo to let them pass.

"You inspired me to start writing poetry myself! I wanted to thank you for that. Have you written any other amazing poems?"

"I don't know about amazing." Jisoo said with a small smile on her face. She shyly averted her eyes to the ceiling, clearly enjoying being admired. "But I've written a few."

"Oh, well I hope you'll decide to share them once again." The girl gushed. "Maybe I'll like it as much as B 612."

With that she backed away and gave Jisoo a three-finger wave.

"Thank you!" Jisoo called after her, waving back. There was a tiny, satisfied smile on her face, and her gaze followed the girl as she walked through the library and out the door.

Jennie reached for Jisoo's soft hand, but she squeezed it only lightly, like she was distracted. She pulled Jennie towards the exit, and right through the university's front door, still barely even holding her hand. Jennie looked down at their hands, wondering if she should tighten her grip, squeeze it a little harder. But before she got the chance to, Jisoo released it as she opened her car door.

"Come on." She said as she motioned to the passenger seat and Jennie rubbed her hands together, not even realizing they were on the school parking lot. She's been too focused on Jisoo's hand in hers.

She slipped inside Jisoo's car and let silence indulge them. Jisoo spent a few minutes absently scrolling through her phone, and Jennie just sat by her side, trying not to stare too hard.

"So you write poetry?" She finally asked, and Jisoo giggled softly.

"It's stupid, I did it when I was like 16." She said, sounding embarassed.

"It can't be that bad. That girl liked it a lot." Jennie said in a tone more bitter than she intended it to be. Jisoo cocked her head, looking puzzled.

"Jen, are you jealous?" She asked playfully smirking, her eyes glued to Jennie's.

"I'm not jealous." Jennie flat out lied, feeling petty and immature for feeling this way.

Jisoo's gaze fell to Jennie's rosy lips and the latter shivered. She flicked Jisoo's hair off her shoulders and collarbones with one swift movement. They still dazed at each other as Jennie subconsciously traced her fingertips across Jisoo's skin.

Slowly, almost shyly, Jennie leaned forward, wordlessly asking for a kiss.

Jisoo obliged as she melted into her lips, entangling her fingers in Jennie's hair and pulling her as close as the car space allowed them.

Hoarse and soft whimpers escaped both of their mouths while they gently trailed their hands all over each other's warm bodies.

"Jisoo..." Jennie weakly moaned her name, pulling the girl closer. She immersed herself in Jisoo's neck, whose hands traveled all the way down between Jennie's legs.

She felt her legs wobble under Jisoo's touch and if she wasn't already seated Jennie was sure her legs would just turn to mush. Jisoo moved her fingers agonizingly slow, before she retreated them completely.

Both girls slammed their backs against the car seats, breathing heavily. The sun that was setting outside the window behind Jisoo positioned itself as if it was trying make her already stunning features look even more flattering. Jennie stared at her, certain that this was perfection at it's best.

"You need to get jealous more often." Jisoo teased, finally making her car engine rumble.

  
  


 

*

  
  


 

Chaeyoung was standing in front of the guest house in her spacious backyard which had rose trellises along the fence. A crescent shaped pool was supposed to be in front of it... only it wasn't anywhere to be found. In fact, it seemed like a lot of things that resided in or decorated the backyard were missing for some reason.

Chaeyoung looked down, noticing that she was on her old mountain bike, the one she hadn't touched in years. A strand of black hair fell over her eyes. When she gazed into the guest house she saw Jennie and Lisa fully immersed in their game of Scrabble. Lisa's hair was shorter and darker, the way it used to look in middle school. Jennie was chubbier and babyfaced, with pink streaks in her hair.

Chaeyoung shuddered. 

She knew why they were there, it was the night of her birthday party in eighth grade. She heard someone marching across the wide, flat expanse of freshly mown grass, and suddenly, Jisoo was standing in front of her, her hands on her hips. She was wearing an oversized Darth Vader shirt and her bowl-cut hair was slightly ruffled.

"Chaeyoung, give it back." She demanded.

Chaeyoung started feeling uneasy - same as she did nine years ago, when she first had this conversation with Jisoo.

"Give what back?" Her innocent words poured out of her mouth by themselves while she dropped her bike on the wet grass.

"Whatever Chanyeol put in Jennie's bag earlier. It's not yours." Jisoo said, sounding irritated. Chaeyoung stared at her, her heart pounding hard.

"I was going to give it to her later." Chaeyoung said.

Jisoo glowered at her skeptically, before sighing. "Well you better, or else I'm going to tell her." She announced, and stormed back into the guest house, leaving Chaeyoung alone out front.

Chaeyoung shot up, her eyes popping open. She was in her bedroom. Pale morning light streamed through the windows. As she was rubbing her eyes she heard voices in the hallway, first her mother's, then her sister's laugh. She groaned, thinking about the stupid dream she had earlier. Her old friends wouldn't stop haunting her even in dreams.

Abruptly, she bolted out of bed and pulled on a sweatshirt. In the cafeteria yesterday she overheard Sehun, Chanyeol's friend, talk about meeting him for a morning workout at the gym that was near their school. She was planning to talk to him about what happened the other day. They made study plans way before he even talked to Jennie and Jisoo and he should respect that. Or she'll make him.

It didn't take her long to find the gym the boys were talking about, and she parked her car at the almost vacant parking lot out front. As she walked through the parking lot, her phone blinked, indicating she had a text. She reached for it. The text was from Sooyoung.  _ Me and Yerim saw Chanyeol hanging out with Jennie and Jisoo at the library earlier. Just thought you should know. _

Chaeyoung slid the phone back in her pocket, biting her lip hard. Their study sessions couldn't have started already? Maybe Yerim and Sooyoung were mistaken.

The loud music inside the gym attacked Chaeyoung's ears before she even opened the front door. "Welcome!" A girl standing behind the gym's front desk chirped. "Can I see your membership?"

"Oh, I'm just a guest." Chaeyoung answered. The girl let out a small squeak when Chaeyoung just walked right past her, not singing the guest form either.

Almost instantly she spotted who she was searching for. Sehun was doing arm curls in front of a mirror and Chanyeol was lying down on the bench press, getting ready to lift.

Chaeyoung took a moment to stealthily walk around some treadmills and other machines until she was standing over Chanyeol. His eyes widened, as he was starting to lift the bar back up to the stand, but Chaeyoung stopped him.

"Not so fast." She said. "I have to talk to you first."

Sweat started forming on Chanyeol's forehead and his arms started to wobble. "What is it?"

"If you make plans with me you have to stick to them. You can't just ditch me for someone else. Including Jennie." Chaeyoung said, ignoring his biceps that was shaking now.

Chanyeol looked at her pleadingly, his face turning redder. "I'm going to drop this on my chest."

Chaeyoung made a  _ tsk  _ sound. "I thought you were stronger than that. Promise me first that you're only going to study with me."

"I didn't know you still wanted to do it..." He said and grunted, a few veins on his forehead popping out. "After you broke up with me."

"Well maybe I changed my mind." Chaeyoung said.

"I promise okay. I'll only study with you." He said weakly and Chaeyoung stepped aside, letting him raise the bar and return it on the stand.

"That wasn't so hard, was it now?" She asked, tossing him a towel which he used to wipe the sweat off his face.

"All you had to do was ask." Chanyeol said, sitting up straight. "You know I was looking forward to studying with you the most, anyway."

A smile spread across Chaeyoung's lips. She couldn't wait to see Jennie's and Jisoo's faces when they realize their little scheme didn't work. Her and Chanyeol weren't even broken up for a full day before they tried to snatch him away from her, and Chaeyoung was going to make them realize that no one can take anything away from her that easily.

She leaned down, almost cringing at Chanyeol's odor and sweaty face, and gave him a quick peck on the lips. He stared at her, with his eyes wide open, not blinking.

"Maybe I was too rash when I told you we should take a break."

Chanyeol straightened out his wet t-shirt still looking at her doubtfully. "So we're back together?"

"Of course." Chaeyoung said bashfully and tossed her hair behind her shoulder and started walking out of the weight room. "You can come by to study later today." She called over her shoulder, giving him one last alluring smile.

The girl from the gym front desk was waiting for her outside, now joined by a tall, muscular man.

"Miss, if you want to use the gym, you're going to have to pay a guest fee." She said, her cheeks blazing red.

"I'm done here." Chaeyoung said, not even sparing them a glance and walking around the both of them. Neither of them said anything. Neither of them moved a muscle to stop and comprehend her. And that was, of course, because she was Park Rosé Chaeyoung, and she was untouchable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a bit longer to write this chapter because I kept scrapping and editing it to no end. Even though it's a bit slow paced it's here and I hope you enjoy it. ♡


	7. Chapter 7

Jennie squinted at her phone screen and pinched it with her fingers, zooming in. The encounter with the girl that was a fan of Jisoo's poetry reminded Jennie yet again how little she knew about the girl Jisoo is today. So naturally, too shy to ask, she spent the entire morning surfing Google and various fan blogs looking for interesting facts and information she may have missed. Fortunately for her, Jisoo seemed to be very popular and had a lot of fans and news sites talk about her daily. Unfortunately, none of them really provided her with something she didn't already know. She switched to another tab on her browser, which contained celebrity gossip. She scrolled passed numerous paragraphs about other singers and actors until she got to the part about Jisoo.

Jennie's eyes widened. It said that the rumor has it, Jisoo is currently seeing someone. Jennie wondered how in the world anyone found out about them this quickly, until she got to the part that said the person Jisoo is seeing an Italian model.

_ Bullshit  _ she mouthed.

The website seemed sketchy and from that point on the rumors got even more ridiculous. One of them said that a very famous idol was lying about his age and he was actually 34 instead of 25 like his official profile says.

Rolling her eyes, Jennie closed the gossip page, barely even paying attention to her surroundings and her professor, Mr Lee, who was repeatedly calling her name. Suddenly, a girl sitting next her elbowed her gently and snapped her back to reality. Jennie raised her head, looking around questioningly.

"Hello? Ms Kim?" Mr Lee, the director of their play, almost shouted.

Jennie swiftly slipped her phone into her purse.

"Y-Yes?"

"Quickly, get up on the stage. It's your turn."

Jennie silently nodded and climbed up on the stage, where Chaeyoung, who she was rehearsing this specific scene with, was already standing and waiting.

"And action!" Mr Lee signaled them to start and Chaeyoung crossed and uncrossed her arms.

It took Jennie a few moments to remember her lines, but before Mr Lee could complain again she started.

"Look! You want to see! See! Feast your eyes on my cursed ugliness! Look at Erika's face!" Jennie started, feverishly rubbing her hands.

Chaeyoung fell down on her knees in front of Jennie, who was now approaching her slowly.

"I frighten you, do I?" Jennie asked, trying to sound as if she was threatening Christine, the opera singer.

"Perhaps you think I have another mask, and that this... this... my head is a mask! Well," She roared. "Tear it off as you did the other. Your hands! Give me your hands!" Jennie seized Chaeyoung's hand tightly and brought it near her face. Chaeyoung whimpered sadly, digging her nails into Jennie's face a bit harder than it was necessary for the scene.

"Ouch!" Jennie screamed and immediately let go of Chaeyoung's hands to touch her face to see if there was a mark.

"What are you doing?" Mr Lee asked, looking impatient.

"She scratched me!" Jennie whined, looking at Chaeyoung accusingly, who barely managed to hide a small smirk.

"Ms Kim are you twelve years old? Ms Park was simply in character. You should try that as well, I don't remember the phantom screaming  _ ouch. _ " He remarked and tapped his pen on the script and faint giggles spread through the room. "Now continue."

Jennie cleared her throat.

"Know that I am built up from death head to toe." Jennie bellowed, glancing down at the script. "And that it is a corpse that loves you and adores you and will never, never leave you!"

Mr Lee let out a long sigh.

"Cut!" He yelled. "I need more emotion from you Jennie. You need to sound impaled, wounded with love and adoration! Try imagining how it would feel like to really be in love with Chaey- I mean Christine."

_ You don't know the half of it,  _ Jennie thought with a shiver. She was starting to regret auditioning for a role that had so many scenes with Chaeyoung as the scene continued.

"Ms Kim?" Mr Lee called.

Jennie blinked. A few lines had gone by that she completely missed, and now everyone was staring at her.

"I'm sorry, where were we?"

She heard Chaeyoung scoff and Mr Lee looked annoyed. "Chaeyoung, can you repeat your line?"

"No... Forgive me Erika, oh please!"

"I am crying for you Christine, who have torn off my mask..." But as she was saying the words, her thoughts drifted again. She looked at Chaeyoung who was sitting at her feet. What did they argue about the night of Chaeyoung's birthday that was so horrible she couldn't stand her even now? What could've possibly been the argument that ended their years long friendship in just one night? And did she really break up with Chanyeol just because he helped her and Jisoo the night of her party?

"Erika?" A sharp voice called. A vein was pulsating on Mr Lee's forehead and it looked like his head was about to explode.

"Uh..." Jennie glanced around. Chaeyoung had left the stage. Had the scene ended?

Mr Lee shooed Jennie toward the seats. "Raoul you're next!"

Raoul, who was played by Chanyeol jumped up from his seat at the front of the auditorium. Jennie turned back to Mr Lee, who was making marks in his script, probably about how horrible her performance was.

"I'm really sorry about my scene" She said. "I was distracted. I'll get it together next time."

He pursed his thin lips. "I really expect all of you to give your hundred percent each time. Was that your one hundred percent?"

"Of course not." Jennie squeaked. "But I'll be better! I promise!"

"If you don't start taking this part more seriously, I might have to give it to someone else." Mr Lee raised his eyebrows.

"Please don't do that!" Jennie cried.

"Then get your head into this play and focus!" He slapped his script shut. A cough sounded from the right. Sooyoung and Yerim snickered from the front row and everyone stared at Jennie from the audience. Nayeon, who was standing behind Mr Lee the entire time gave her an apologetic look.

"I can do it." Jennie said, but didn't look convinced.

"I have a suggestion. Ms Park can help you practice." Mr Lee said and Jennie stiffened.

"I don't need her..." Jennie paused. "I don't need help."

The vein on Mr Lee's forehead started pulsating ominously once again.

"Actually," Chaeyoung, who was standing below the stage listening to their conversation, cut in, pushing back a lock of her silky blonde hair. "I think you do. If you look bad it makes me look bad too."

Jennie let out an angry sigh. She was about to protest once again, but Mr Lee's irritated face appeared in her mind once again. And besides, Chaeyoung  _ was  _ good at acting. Obnoxious or not, she probably knew a thing or two more than Jennie did. And she needed all the help she could get.

"Fine." She said coldly. "If you think it's really necessary Mr Lee, we can rehearse together."

For the first time that day, Mr Lee looked pleased with Jennie.

"I expect a better performance from you next week Ms Kim." He said and Jennie politely nodded, marching off the stage.

"Excellent as usual Ms Park!" She heard Mr Lee say and Chaeyoung's painfully fake giggle as she was walking back to her seat.

She was surprised to see Jisoo sitting next to it, greeting her with a wide grin.

The wooden chair let out a creak when Jennie sat down on it and leaned to whisper in Jisoo's ear.

"You're late."

"I had another pictorial last night. We were shooting until, like, 2AM." Jisoo explained, and really, Jennie immediately noticed how tired her doe eyes looked.

"I still managed to catch your amazing performance though." Jisoo teased, letting out a chuckle.

"I was just distracted a bit, that's all!"

Suddenly, Mr Lee's voice pierced the room.

"Kim Jisoo, it's your turn!"

On her way to the stage Jisoo winked at Jennie.

"Let me show you how it's done."

Jennie rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile.

  
  


 

*

 

 

 

Shortly after the Drama Club ended, Chaeyoung was neatly tucking in her script into her purse feeling satisfied with herself. She wasn't exactly thrilled about helping Jennie with her acting, but Mr Lee seemed to be happy when she agreed to do it. And being a model student always comes first. They agreed to practice at Chaeyoung's place tomorrow afternoon.

While Sooyoung and Yerim were chatting about something that went into one of Chaeyoung's ears and right out the other, her eyes scanned the auditorium for Chanyeol. When she finally found him he was just about to go through the door, next to his friend Sehun and a few girls. Chaeyoung narrowed her eyes at the pretty girl enthusiastically talking to him. Jennie.

Chaeyoung shot across the room.

"Hey, where are you going?" Sooyoung asked, but Chaeyoung left her behind, moving with such sudden speed that she almost twisted her ankle.

"Hey." Chanyeol said, a  _ I'm not doing anything wrong _ look on his face. Jisoo and Jennie looked at her, with fake friendly smiles on their faces. When Sooyoung and Yerim caught up to her, Chaeyoung grabbed Chanyeol's hand, facing them.

"I forgot to tell you guys, Chanyeol and I are officially back together."

Jennie looked confused and Jisoo's smile dimmed.

"Really?" Sooyoung asked.

"Mhm." Chaeyoung chirped, running her hand over Chanyeol's forearm. Sehun clapped Chanyeol on the back.

"Good for you two."

Chanyeol shrugged and smiled shyly. "I forgot my script." He said, and he and Sehun started walking back into the auditorium.

Chaeyoung linked her arm with Yerim's and shot Jisoo and Jennie a smug smile.

"So who's the winner now?"

Jisoo ran her fingers through her hair. "God, Chaeyoung." She burst out laughing. "You actually got back together with him?"

Chaeyoung scoffed. "You're not used to losing, but face it you did."

Jisoo shook her head and glanced at Jennie, who had a blank expression on her face.

"You don't get it, do you? Neither of us even liked him."

Chaeyoung knotted her eyebrows and Yerim dropped her arm. "Jennie liked him as much as I did. You probably did too."

"Did we? I wanted to see if you'd go after anyone if you thought we were going after him too. The jokes on you Chaeyoung."

Yerim made a soft whiny noise, and Sooyoung puckered her lips trying hard not to erupt into giggles. Chaeyoung blinked hard, feeling like she's about to faint. Could Jisoo be serious? Was Chaeyoung the butt of the joke?

Jisoo's face softened.

"Oh relax. Think of this as a payback for the invitation stunt you pulled with Jennie, now we're even! Why don't you girls come join us? There's this gorgeous cafe with a garden that opened just down the street."

"Oh, I've been meaning to check that place out." Sooyoung said and looped her arm through Chaeyoung's, but Chaeyoung shook her away. How could Jisoo and Jennie do this? How was this payback for the invitation thing? Chaeyoung hadn't heard from Jennie in nine years, why would she invite her to her party?

But suddenly, Chaeyoung remembered the Jennie she used to know. The girl she had to sing to sleep when it thundered, the one who made snacks for the two of them when they went on one of their bimonthly picnics. Was it possible that Jennie was actually hurt by not getting her invitation? Could it be that she never even wanted to steal her boyfriend?

But no.

"No." Chaeyoung faced Jisoo and Jennie. "You wanted Chanyeol, but I got him." It came out louder than she intended. A few people in the hallway stopped and stared.

"Rosé, come on." Yerim said quietly.

"Are you really going to be like this?" Jisoo asked.

Chaeyoung shook her head.

"I won!" She cried. "And you lost."

Jisoo looked over Chaeyoung's shoulder, her expression shifting. Chaeyoung followed her gaze.

Chanyeol was holding his script and by the way he was staring at Chaeyoung it seemed as if he understood perfectly what had just happened. Before Chaeyoung could say a word, he turned around, saying nothing and disappearing into the crowd.

  
  


*

  
  


"And that's how you make the graph." Jennie said, dragging her finger over the picture in one of her textbooks.

Her spacious bed was littered with pencils, pens, textbooks and paper. Lisa was also laying on it, squinting her eyes at what Jennie was showing her.

"I think I get it..." She said hesitantly.

"You think?" Jennie asked softly, slightly amused.

She never thought the day would come when she would be the one tutoring Lisa, but here they were, on top of Jennie's bed with their textbooks spread out in front of them and Jennie monitoring Lisa's progress.

Jennie was about to repeat what she just explained to Lisa, but this time slower and more simple, when her phone that was on the nightstand started buzzing and ringing loudly.

Jennie didn't even glance at it.

"So anyway, you start from this point..." She started, but the ringing was persistent and it seemed to distract Lisa, who kept glancing at the phone.

"You're not gonna get that?" Lisa asked.

Jennie promptly got up and swiped away all the texts and missed calls she got from Jisoo and silenced her phone.

"Nope." She hopped back onto the bed, making a pencil roll off the bed. "Now let's get back to it."

But instead of focusing on the textbook, Lisa rolled over to her back.

"I'm tired of studying."

"Lisa, we barely even started." Jennie protested.

"If you're not going to answer your calls at least check the time on your phone. It's been almost two hours since I got here." Lisa laughed and stretched out her muscles like a cat.

A soft knock on the door interrupted them.

"Yes?" Jennie called, and her maid, Hyelim, walked in carrying a tray with two glasses of cold lemonade, just like the old days.

"I thought you girls might be thirsty."

"God, yes. Thank you!" Lisa exclaimed, grabbing her glass and pouring lemonade down her throat. 

"Ms Jennie, I hope you aren't ignoring your aunt's calls again." Hyelim said as she set down Jennie's glass of lemonade on the nightstand.

Jennie stiffened.

"It's not my aunt."

Hyelim shot her a surprised look on her way out, but she didn't pester her any further.

When Lisa and Jennie were alone once again, the curiosity got the better of Lisa.

"So who's been calling you this much?"

"No one." Jennie said, rolling onto her back just like Lisa.

"Oh come on." Lisa softly nudged at her. "Are you hiding something from me?"

Jennie stared at the ceiling, suddenly feeling guilty about keeping Lisa out of the loop. Ultimately, she decided she could tell her about what happened with Chaeyoung earlier that day, without mentioning the entire...  _ thing  _ she has going on with Jisoo. Soon enough, everything started pouring out of her, and with every sentence Lisa's jaw dropped further.

After Jennie finished a short silence followed.

"I'm not exactly a fan of Chaeyoung either, but that was mean." Lisa finally said and Jennie nodded in agreement.

"Jisoo doesn't think it's that serious though, but I'm really not in the mood to argue. That's why I'm ignoring her." Jennie explained.

"I see." Lisa nodded then paused. "Can I be honest though?"

"What is it?"

"I thought you liked Chanyeol too."

Jennie scoffed, crossing and uncrossing her arms.

"Why does everyone think that?" She whined.

Lisa shrugged.

"You seem distracted these days, like you like someone."

Jennie licked her lips, an ambivalent heaviness in her chest.

"Well I don't." She said sternly, more to herself than to Lisa. "Anyway, break's over. Let's study." Jennie said, flopping over on her stomach and opening the textbook once again, making Lisa groan loudly.

  
  


 

 

*

 

 

 

The next morning, Jennie sleepily sat down to have breakfast in the sun-filled dining room which smelled like organic coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice.

"Ms Jennie, are you sure you don't want me to make you something else?" Hyelim asked, eyeing the cereal Jennie was slurping using a silver spoon.

"No, thank you." Jennie mumbled.

" _ You are afraid of me, and yet I am not really wicked."  _ She recited inside her head. It was from the speech when the Phantom was making Christine choose between marrying him or letting him kill Raoul. " _ Love me and you shall see! All I wanted was to be loved for myself. If you loved me I should be as gentle as a..." _

Then her mind went blank. What came after that?

She absently let the tap water run over the, now empty, cereal bowl feeling slightly infuriated. She'd mastered all of her  _ very  _ demanding classes and managed to tutor Lisa on top of that, but when she was supposed to memorize her lines for the play her mind refused to cooperate. As much as she loathed giving Chaeyoung the satisfaction of coaching her, maybe she needed it. If only Jisoo hadn't made it even harder than it normally would've been...

"Ms Jennie, is everything alright?" Hyelim asked, leaning forward on her elbows. The water was overflowing from the cereal bowl that Jennie was still holding. She hadn't noticed how long she'd been standing there, immersed in her own thoughts.

Jennie sighed and raised her head.

"Remember how, after I just came back here, I told you how nothing was... quite the same?"

"Sure." Hyelim said, stirring her coffee cup.

"I think I was wrong. Nothing was ever what I thought it was, so how could it be the same?" Jennie fiddled with a napkin. "It's like, you have this idea in your head, but sometimes the reality doesn't exactly live up to it." She paused. "Maybe I'm just rambling."

"It helps to ramble sometimes, Ms Jennie." Hyelim clucked her tongue. "Is this somehow connected to the love advice you asked from me back then?"

Jennie chuckled. "I guess so."

"Well," Hyelim spoke after a moment. "I think that someday you're going to make someone very happy. And someone is going to make you happy someday too."

"How will I know when it's right?" Jennie asked quietly.

"You just will, Ms Jennie. Trust me."

Hyelim patted Jennie's hands, maybe waiting for her to say something else. When Jennie didn't, Hyelim rose to clear the table.

Jennie remained in her chair, deep in thought. No matter how much of a bitch Chaeyoung was now, Jennie couldn't bring herself to hate her - for the sake of their old friendship and everything else she used to feel for her. Maybe if she stayed here and watched it happen - watched Chaeyoung start to despise her old friends - her own love for Chaeyoung would turn into bitterness and snarky comments every time they bump into each other. But she wasn't and it didn't. On the other hand, Jisoo was. Could Jennie really blame her for enjoying pushing Chaeyoung's buttons so much?

When the doorbell suddenly rang, Jennie straightened her spine.

Hyelim left and came back into to the dining room a few moments later, carrying a huge bouquet of flowers.

"What is that?" Jennie asked, standing up.

"It's for you, Ms Jennie." Hyelim said, smiling. "They smell wonderful."

Jennie took the flowers in her hands, crinkling the cellophane they were wrapped in. Smell of freshly cut flowers embraced her and she smiled. It was a bouquet of white, yellow and pink daises - her favorite flower.

"I'll go get a vase." Hyelim said and Jennie merely nodded, too busy looking at the white card that was neatly tucked in between the daises. She pulled it out and opened it, and somehow she already knew who it was from.

_ I'm sorry for being a jerk. JS _

A smile spread across Jennie's face when she saw a little drawing of a daisy Jisoo had doodled on the card and a small light flickered in her heart. She buried her face in the flowers, taking in their sweet aroma once again, before she handed them to Hyelim, who was now placing a clear vase filled with fresh water on the counter.

Almost instantly, her phone buzzed once again, and this time Jennie decided to pick up. She missed Jisoo's antics too much to still be mad at her.

  
  


 

 

*

  
  
  


 

A few hours later, Jennie picked at her plaid cardigan climbing up the front stairs of Chaeyoung's house.

The afternoon was gray, cloudy and chilly and Jennie knew the house in front of her all too well - from the driveway lined with pine trees, lanterns hanging next to the tall front door to the rose trellises gating the backyard.

She checked herself out in the sidelight window. She was wearing slouchy jeans, a soft cashmere cardigan and a matching top that revealed most of her stomach, which she thought looked appropriately cute but  _ not  _ like she was trying to impress Chaeyoung. She rang the bell.

No one answered. Jennie rang it again. Still no one.

She tapped her foot impatiently, now knocking hard on the door. Did Chaeyoung forget that they agreed to do this today?

Finally a light in the hallway turned on, and the door whipped open. Chaeyoung was standing in front of her, wearing a sports bra and leggings. Jennie accidently swallowed the hard peppermint candy she had in her mouth.

"Sorry." Chaeyoung said simply. "I was doing yoga."

"Of course you were." Jennie mumbled, trying not to stare at her waist. She followed Chaeyoung who strode into the foyer, noting that the inside of the house looked as familiar as the outside. The large living room to her left still had its walls covered in oil paintings, and a sculpture of a mermaid which always fascinated Jennie was right at the end of the hallway. The only thing that stood out was the unrolled yoga mat.

"I'm sorry about what happened the other day." Jennie blurted out, unable to not address the elephant in the room.

Chaeyoung strolled over to the mat, picked up a white t-shirt from it and pulled it over her head. Jennie was relieved that she was covering up.

"Save it."

"No, seriously." Jennie said quickly. "I really am sorry."

"Well, it doesn't matter now. You and Jisoo won, and now I'm a joke." Chaeyoung let out a bitter laugh that Jennie had never heard before.

Jennie frowned.

"I didn't care about the stupid party invitation, you know?" She said truthfully. "And I had no idea about the entire payback thing."

Chaeyoung glanced at her. "Then why are you apologizing?"

Jennie turned away, pretending to be captivated by the oil painting of the mountain landscape.

"Because you didn't deserve that." She said quietly. "And for what it's worth, I don't think you're a joke Chaeyoung."

Jennie expected Chaeyoung to correct her once again and tell her to call her Rosé, but when she looked up, the other girl was staring at her with an enigmatic look on her face. It was almost like she was trying to memorize every inch of Jennie's features. Jennie stared back, getting the chance to study just how brown Chaeyoung's eyes are for the first time in years.

"So, um, should we get started?" Jennie asked after an awkward moment.

Chaeyoung broke her gaze, walked across the room and settled into a leather chair. "Sure. If you want."

Jennie felt a stab of frustration. "You said you're going to teach me. So... teach me."

Chaeyoung straightened up in her chair.

"Well, I think your problem is that you don't understand the Phantom. You're just a college student reciting his lines."

Two sharp lines appeared at the sides of Jennie's mouth.

"Of course I understand him! He's a tragic hero, or a tragic  _ villain _ . He's childish and selfish, but all the bad things he does, he does because he's madly in love with Christine."

"Where'd you get that from, Wikipedia?" Chaeyoung scoffed. "Knowing facts isn't the same as getting into the character. You have to experience what he experiences and  _ really  _ feel him. That's what acting is."

Jennie resisted the urge to laugh. "That's bullshit."

Chaeyoung's eyes flashed. "Maybe you're scared to really go for it. Acting can be pretty demanding."

"I'm not scared." Jennie stubbornly crossed her arms across her chest.

Chaeyoung rose from her chair and moved a few steps closer to her.

"Okay, let's say you're not scared. But you are doing this just because you thought it would be the easiest extracurricular to pick up, aren't you? Not because you actually care about acting. Not because you care about the play."

Heat rushed to Jennie's face.

"You know what? I don't need this." She was ready to walk out of the room.  _ Arrogant bitch. _

"Wait." Chaeyoung grabbed her wrist and spun her around. "I challenge you. I think you're good, better than you realize. But I also think you can do way better."

The sudden scent of vanilla soap tickled Jennie's nose. She glanced down at Chaeyoung's long fingers around her wrist. "You think I'm good?" She almost whispered.

"I think you're very good." Chaeyoung said in a suddenly soft voice. "But you also have to let go of your fear and insecurity."

"How?" Jennie asked.

"You need to become the Phantom. Try your best to understand his motivations, feel what he feels, know what you would do if you were in his shoes."

"Why does it matter what  _ I _ would do?" Jennie protested. " _ He's  _ the character Leroux wrote about.  _ His _ lines are there on the page.  _ He _ does bad things because he loves Christine."

"Well, wouldn't  _ you  _ do the same if you were in love with Christine?" Chaeyoung, the Christine, urged, still holding Jennie's wrist tightly.

Jennie looked away, a lump rising in her throat. That was little too close to home.

"I guess. But I'd never love someone like her."

Chaeyoung sighed, letting go of her hand.

"You're taking this too literally. You're not Jennie Kim, the good girl, the good student. You're the Phantom of the Opera. Selfish. Blinded with love. Jealous. You'd do anything to convince Christine to marry you, or stomp over anyone standing in your way. What does it  _ feel  _ like to love someone that much?"

Jennie fiddled with her belt loop, uncomfortable with Chaeyoung's scrutiny.

"How do you become one with the Phantom? Where's the place you go to?"

Chaeyoung looked away, the intensity fading from her eyes. "It doesn't matter."

Jennie crossed her arms, looking at her questioningly.

Chaeyoung rolled her eyes.

"Fine. If you must know, I was in love once. For a while, I guess." Her voice was barely over a whisper. "That's where I go to... It's not quite the same, but it gets me in the right head space."

Jennie's hands fell limp at her sides. The words hung heavily in the air. "Yeah, that makes sense."

Chaeyoung shrugged. "I'm sure you loved someone at least once too."

She took a step back and picked up the play script that's been sitting on the table this entire time, without Jennie even noticing it. Jennie shifted her weight.

"I think I get it now." Jennie said softly, her emotions and mind a jumble. She looked up at Chaeyoung and was surprised to see she was gazing at her again. They held each other's gaze for a few long moments. Then, with one swift movement, Chaeyoung turned around and strolled back into the hall.

"Well come on then. We've got a lot of work to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for taking really long to finish this chapter, but I was super busy with school. I'll try to update it more often and finish the story - which, I've recently decided, is going to be Chaennie endgame. I started it planning to make it a Jensoo story, then I became unsure of what it was but I think Chaennie is what feels right right now. I hope everyone who was hoping for a different ending isn't too disappointed.


	8. Chapter 8

Monday morning, when the ball rang signaling the short break in-between classes, Jennie strode quickly through the hallway. She pushed her glasses, which were slipping off, higher up her nose, wondering if her hair was already spilling out of the loose bun on her head. She had spent most of last night catching up on her school work and had barely managed to get three hours of sleep.  
  
"Hi." Some girl Jennie didn't recognize crooned.  
  
"Hi?" Jennie looked over her shoulder. She was the only person around, was the girl really saying hi to her?  
  
When Jennie passed by Sooyoung and Yerim, who were standing by the vending machines, the two of them smiled at her.  
  
"You looked fabulous." Sooyoung chirped.  
  
Jennie managed a smile, confused about what Sooyoung was talking about. Was this another one of their schemes?  
  
But as she continued walking down the hallway, Jennie realized she'd never had so many people smile, wave and say hello to her. This morning, when she walked from one class to another a small group of guys followed, whispering faintly about something.  
  
When a hand shot out of one of the classrooms, Jennie let out a small shriek.  
  
"Jen!" Jisoo who materialized at the door whispered excitedly.  
  
"Hey." Jennie smiled, letting a small group of students past her.  
  
"So did you see it?" Jisoo asked, batting her eyelashes and smiling enthusiastically.  
  
"See what?" Jennie narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Look." Jisoo started rummaging inside her purse until she pulled out a chunky fashion magazine and handed it to Jennie. Jennie reluctantly accepted it, puzzled.  
  
"Page fifteen." Jisoo said, giving a small nod.  
  
Jennie quickly turned the pages of the magazine until she got the page fifteen. She let out a small gasp.  
  
A picture of Jisoo and Jennie posing on the couch and staring at each other intensely was plastered across the entire page. On the next page were a couple of smaller pictures that were taken during their modeling session with Beau a while ago, one of which was a picture of Jisoo on top of Jennie. Jennie smiled smugly, noting how attractive the both of them looked, especially on top of one another.  
  
"Wow." Jennie exhaled, still staring at the magazine pictures.  
  
Jisoo perked up. "They turned out great, didn't they?"  
  
Jennie smiled. "They look amazing Jisoo. I just wasn't expecting them to use _my_ pictures."  
  
"Of course they were going to be used." Jisoo said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world then slid her hand into Jennie's and gave a small squeeze. "Well maybe that wasn't the original plan, but Beau was impressed by you. He would like it if you modeled for him again."  
  
Jennie grinned and folded the magazine, putting it in her purse. "He's too kind, but I might have to pass on that offer. I barely have time to sleep with all the schoolwork and that play..." She sighed, and pushed her glasses up.  
  
"The Drama Club? Phantom?" Jisoo asked and Jennie nodded.  
  
Jisoo let out a chuckle. "You're taking that thing way too seriously."  
  
"Well maybe," Jennie said, matter-of-factly, "You're not taking it seriously enough. Besides, I'm one of the lead roles, I can't let Mr Lee and everyone else down and ruin the play. The entire school will be watching."  
  
"And by everyone else you mean Chaeyoung?"  
  
Jennie froze.  
  
"Huh? Uh...What do you mean?"  
  
"She's helping you rehearse?" Jisoo said.  
  
"Oh, yeah, that." Jennie said quickly and let go of Jisoo's hand to fix her bun which was getting loose. "Well yeah, Chaeyoung among other people as well."  
  
Jisoo nodded. "So is she of any help?"  
  
"Surprisingly, yeah." Jennie smiled and leaned on one of the tables. "She really knows how to get into character and all that. But I'm worried I might be a bad student."  
  
"There are no bad students, only bad teachers."  
  
"So you're admitting that that one time when you failed Chemistry in middle school, it wasn't the teachers fault?" Jennie narrowed her eyes playfully.  
  
Jisoo rolled her eyes and let out a laugh.  
  
"Okay, that was completely different. Anyway, I just hope Chaeyoung's bitchiness doesn't rub off on you." Jisoo said, her tone changing slightly.  
  
"Maybe it already has." Jennie chuckled, jokingly punching Jisoo's arm.  


 

  
  
  
*

 

  
  
  
  
Jennie tugged on Kuma's leash when he stopped walking to sniff on something for the fourth time that day.  
  
"Kuku, let's go!" She called for him and her dog quickly forgot about whatever it was that fascinated him this time and returned to his owner. "Anyway, as I was saying, dogs are just more loyal. Cats would run away the second you stop feeding them."  
  
"Why would you stop feeding your pet?" Lisa, who was walking by her side asked.  
  
Jennie rolled her eyes and then grinned. "You know what I mean."  
  
The afternoon was cloudless and sunny, and it was the perfect day to take Kuma out for a walk. Jennie spent most of the past few weeks cooped up in her apartment studying, so this was a welcome change in her daily routine. Not to mention how grateful Hyelim looked, since she was completing this task every day. Jennie had a feeling that Kuma wasn't too obedient when he was with anyone else other than her.  
  
"But that's what makes cats so great." Lisa continued the cats or dogs argument they were having. "They're independent! Not needy and clingy like dogs."  
  
"Right. Having a clingy pet is not a bad thing, it means your pet loves you." Jennie replied, giving Lisa a knowing sideways glance.  
  
"Hey, my cats love me." Lisa said defensively. "They just show affection in a different way."  
  
"Yeah, by attempting to murder you if you give them a belly rub." Jennie said, then stopped when she felt Kuma's leash tighten. He had stopped once again.  
  
"Kuma!" She called for him once again and caught a triumphant glint in Lisa's eyes.  
  
"Don't say it." Jennie said, certain that the other girl was about to say something about how dogs have to stop and sniff every little thing.  
  
But instead, Lisa started to swoon looking at something behind Jennie.  
  
"Jen, look!" She exclaimed in a high pitched voice and pointed at where Kuma was standing.  
  
A small white puppy was wagging its tail excitedly, putting its paws on Kuma, who was cautiously taking a step back every time the puppy approached him.  
  
"It's so cute!" Jennie squeaked, approaching the puppy who immediately ran towards her. She scratched its head and it licked her palms, still wagging its tail.  
  
"Kuku is jealous." Lisa laughed when Kuma placed his paws on Jennie's back, trying to avert the attention back to him.  
  
Lisa squatted on the ground next to Jennie, playing with the white puppy as well.  
  
"Do you think it belongs to someone? It has a collar." She noted.  
  
"Oh, you're right." Jennie said, only then noticing the thin red collar which was hidden behind the puppy's curly fur. "Let's see."  
  
Jennie picked up the puppy in her lap, trying to inspect the tag on its collar, while the pup was licking her hands.  
  
"There's only an address engraved in it." Jennie said, now rubbing the puppy's belly. Kuma whined jealously behind her.  
  
She repeated the address to Lisa, who looked it up on her phone.  
  
"Oh! It's really close, just around the block." Lisa said. "We should return it."  
  
"Yeah." Jennie said getting up and handing the puppy to Lisa. "I'll carry Kuma or else he'll die of envy."  
  
"You know what, I'm not gonna say it." Lisa said and bumped into Jennie playfully as they walked.  
  
They spent a few minutes walking with the dogs in their arms, Kuma resting peacefully on Jennie's shoulder and the puppy restlessly trying to wriggle out of Lisa's arms.  
  
"I think this is it." Jennie said when they reached their destination. The building in front of them had a big sign saying _Shake a Paw_ with a huge dog paw next to it. Lisa hummed in agreement and pushed open the door.  
  
The smell of dogs, which Jennie knew all too well, hit them as soon as they entered. There were photographs of happy dog owners playing with their pets spread all across the walls, and shelves full of dog food, toys, accessories and such.  
  
"Easy there." Lisa patted the white puppy's head when it barked and tried to wriggle out of her arms. Turns out, the reason the puppy got excited was an older lady that appeared behind one of the shelves without Jennie or Lisa noticing.  
  
"Oh goodness!" She clasped a hand over her mouth. "You've found her!"  
  
"We found her just around the corner." Lisa explained, looking a little too relieved her she set the puppy on the ground.  
  
"I can't thank you girls enough." The lady said gleefully, attempting and failing to pet the puppy, who was excitedly running around. "She must've slipped out the door without me noticing. It gets hectic here sometimes, you know? And running the center all alone isn't easy." She sighed.  
  
Jennie put Kuma down as well, and the playful puppy started bugging him immediately.  
  
"We're glad we could help." Jennie said, and squatted down to play with the two dogs. "So what's her name?"  
  
"Min is her name. She's been a wild one since she was the size of my palm. This isn't the first time she's tried to wander off. Good thing she ran into you two angels and not a moving truck!"  
  
"I think it was Kuma who made her approach us. Although he's being awfully shy." Jennie chuckled, looking at Kuma who was still moving away from Min who was chasing after him.  
  
"Min let's leave the poor boy alone." The lady spoke to puppy and picked her up. "I should clean up this place and feed the dogs soon, but once again, thank you girls from bringing her back."  
  
"Not at all!" Jennie exclaimed while Lisa mumbled something faintly, too focused on getting Min's fur out of her shirt.  
  
The lady took Min through the door at the back of the door, and Jennie could hear distant barking coming from that direction. Suddenly, a poster hanged to the door's right caught Jennie's attention. It had a drawing of a dog with it's paw out, _WE WANT YOU_! written in bright red letters, and just bellow it a smaller writing saying _Looking for volunteers_. She elbowed Lisa and pointed at the poster.  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
"You're joking right?" Lisa laughed, but her smile faded when she realized Jennie was dead serious. "Jen, you know I don't like dogs that much. Besides where would we even find the time?"  
  
"Look," Jennie pointed at the poster once again. "It's only, like, three hours of work a week. Come on, think about all the cute puppies!"  
  
"It's a no from me." Lisa shook her head pointedly. "Isn't one cute puppy enough?" She nodded towards Kuma, who was roaming around the shelves.  
  
Jennie crossed her arms stubbornly.  
  
"Well, I'm doing it whether you're joining me or not." She announced stubbornly and headed toward the door where the lady working at the dog adoption center and Min disappeared.  
  
Lisa simply sighed when Jennie poked her head through the door.  
  
"Excuse me, the sign here says you're looking for volunteers?"  


 

  
  
  
*  


 

 

  
  
Sooyoung and Yerim were on the auditorium stage doing their best impression of opera singers, which sounded more like screeching.  
  
They beckoned Mr Lee, who had his back turned to them - studying the script, making kissy faces, which definitely wasn't called for in the script. The two girls changed out of their regular clothes into, low-cut, short dresses.  
  
One row in front of Jennie, Nayeon nudged one a boy Jennie's been seeing in some of her classes but never got his name. "They look like they're going to a club, not opera singers."  
  
"You're just mad because they blew you off when you asked to sit with them yesterday." He said knowingly, snapping his gum.  
  
Jennie sunk down lower in her seat, absently going over her lines. The auditorium smelled like ham sandwiches Mr Lee always brought in for an after-school snack. There was a commotion on the stage and when Jennie looked up, Sooyoung and Yerim were stepping off the stage and walking towards Chaeyoung who just entered the auditorium.  
  
"Oh, everyone." Yerim called out. "We want to remind you about the cast party after the play. We'll hand out invitations soon. We hope you all can come." She looked directly at Jennie when she said this and smiled, which confused her, but she still gave her a tiny smile.  
  
Ever since the fiasco with Chaeyoung which Jisoo orchestrated, Sooyoung and Yerim have been acting oddly nice to Jennie. Almost as if humiliating their best friend gave her a respect boost, made her equal with them. On one hand, Jennie appreciated the lack of drama and snarky comments that came with that, but on the other hand she wondered how Chaeyoung felt about their sudden switch up.  
  
"We also suggest you all dress nicely, as we might manage to get press to attend." Sooyoung said nasally, now glaring at some of the other actors. "Hopefully, they'll interview all of us."  
  
Mr Lee snorted. "We'd better get to work then." He spied Jennie in the back row. "Speaking of which, Christine? Phantom? Are you ready?"  
  
Jennie jumped up. "Definitely."  
  
Chaeyoung rose too.  
  
When the two of them sauntered up the aisle Jennie noticed Chanyeol glowering at them, not looking pleased at all. She bit her lip realizing only now that he probably still thought she was in on the prank Jisoo pulled.  
  
Mr Lee narrowed his eyes at Jennie.  
  
"I hope you've got it a bit more together today."  
  
"I do." Jennie chirped, pushing a lock of hair behind her shoulder. After rehearsing with Chaeyoung. she went over a dozen of scenes, and she felt prepared and connected. She kept repeating a mantra in her head: _I can do this_. She exchanged a glance with Chaeyoung, who was standing in front of her. Jennie shot her a kind smile, but Chaeyoung only barely smiled, looking focused.  
  
"Okay." Mr Lee prowled around the stage. "Let's take it from the top then."  
  
"Christine, you must love me!" Jennie said.  
  
Chaeyoung lowered her eyes.  
  
"How can you talk like that?" She said with a sad, trembling voice. "When I sing only for you?"  
  
Jennie stared at her, trying to put herself in Erika's position, as Chaeyoung encouraged. Become one with the Phantom. Surrender to his problems.  
  
And for Jennie that meant: surrender to Chaeyoung. Chaeyoung's line struck her like a lightning, just like the ones accompanied with thunder that she used to be so scared of. Chaeyoung did sing only for her, that much was true - once upon a time.  
  
They'd continued their scene, Christine assuring the Phantom that she sings only for him, the Phantom desperate for her love.  
  
"Oh, tonight I gave you my soul and I am dead." Chaeyoung sputtered.  
  
Jennie locked her eyes with hers, ready to say her next line, and then she paused. Their faces were barely a few inches from each other and Jennie was taking in Chaeyoung's face, every part of it, as if she's never seen it before. From her lips, her nose to her eyes. Chaeyoung's eyes.  
  
There was a familiar glint in them, hesitant, scared. _Chaeyoung's acting is no joke_ , Jennie thought, although she was still gripped by the look in Chaeyoung's eyes. It felt like something heavy and hard was sitting on her chest preventing air from reaching her lungs.  It seemed to provoke something distant in Jennie, something just out of reach. But whatever it was, the details refused to crystallize. They've been here before, she's looked at Jennie like this before.  
  
_Snap out of it._  
  
Chaeyoung shifted on stage, waiting for Jennie to deliver her last set of lines. The look in her eyes was gone.  
  
Jennie straightened up.  
  
"Your soul is a beautiful thing." She said in a grave voice, clutching Chaeyoung's hands. "The angels wept tonight." She barely managed to finish.  
  
Thankfully, the scene was over after that. Jennie scuttled behind the curtain and threw herself on an old couch once used for a set, taking deep breaths as though she'd just finished running a marathon. She couldn't decipher what was happening. She'd seen Chaeyoung a dozen of times since she moved back here, so why was her head suddenly all jumbled and full of half finished thoughts.  
  
Mr Lee probably thought that long pause between lines was because she'd lost her place, not because all air was sucked out of her for no apparent reason, because of Chaeyoung. Stupid Chaeyoung.  
  
Jennie was probably out of the play for good.  
  
Footsteps approached. "Well, well, well, Ms Kim." Mr Lee's voice said above her.  
  
Jennie drew her hands away from her face and looked up. Mr Lee's face looked delighted. "It looks like someone's done her homework. Excellent job. That goes for you too Ms Park. Keep it up, your lessons are clearly working!" He said over his shoulder.  
  
Jennie blinked at him. "Really?"  
  
Mr Lee nodded. "I believe you've finally connected with the Phantom. Loved the little shaky breaths too. The way you looked at Christine, as though possessed. You might nail this part yet."  
  
Then Mr Lee turned on his heel and swished back to the stage. Chaeyoung rushed toward Jennie, and sat down next to her, a smile on her face. Jennie suddenly felt like scooting away from her.  
  
"Well, that was great." She gushed, laying her hand on Jennie's shoulder. "You're getting there."  
  
Jennie grinned weakly, not daring to look at Chaeyoung. "I thought I blew the whole thing. I acted like a fool."  
  
Chaeyoung shook her head, with a serious expression on her face. "No, you were good." She stared at her with such intensity that Jennie felt her cheeks get hot. "You really tapped into something inside yourself, didn't you? I could tell."  
  
"Uh... Not really." Jennie squirmed, feeling somewhat exposed. She mustered the courage to glance at Chaeyoung, feeling foolish for acting so weird all of the sudden.  
  
"I think we'll only need a few more rehearsals." Chaeyoung said nonchalantly, now focused on the phone in her hands. Jennie let herself look at her side profile. Was continuing these practice sessions really a good idea? She couldn't tell.  
  
"Let's meet at your place next time." Chaeyoung suggested and lowered her phone. Jennie resisted the urge to take a peek at her screen. "Thursday afternoon?"  
  
"That sounds okay." Jennie said shakily. And then Chaeyoung leaned closer, a shy look on her face. Jennie's insides churned nervously once again. If she didn't know any better, it would look like Chaeyoung was about to kiss her. Jennie chuckled in her head at that thought. That's ridiculous.  
  
"Ew." Chaeyoung said loudly, and Jennie's eyes widened. She felt Chaeyoung roughly brush her hand on Jennie's shoulder. "There was a spider." She explained.  
  
Jennie shot up from the old shabby couch, almost screaming. She hated bugs.  
  
Chaeyoung laughed.  
  
"Relax, I took care of it. But we should probably get out of here. I wouldn't be surprised if next thing we see is a rat." She said calmly, and looked over her shoulder at Jennie with a satisfied smirk. "Or worse." She added jokingly.  
  
Jennie smiled weakly as Chaeyoung pulled open the stage curtain, but her insides felt uneasy


End file.
